Your CoVid-19 test queries and observations - the Megathread

Sleeper12

Snipp wrote: »

By following HSE guidelines.

People will believe what they want to believe. The majority of people believe that hand sanitizer is better than warm water & soap when it's not. HSE & WHO say soap & water. They believe that wearing masks or covering their faces with scarves will help stop them getting it when they wont. Masks could actually have the opposite effect if not used correctly. Again HSE & WHO say only people who have the virus should wear masks. People believe that surgical gloves will protect them yet I see them scratch their face while wearing the gloves.



It's very difficult to educate someone who wants to believe what they read on Facebook & WhatsApp

SPurple

sonic2000 wrote: »

Can anyone offer suggestions? I have been having serious doubts about myself. I have suffered with Asthma since I was young. However, it comes and goes. Since the appearance of the CoronaVirus, I have found my asthma has returned and that my breathing has become laboured and quite heavy. But also I get pains often in my chest/abdomen areas.
I rang my GP last Monday and explained to the receptionist about my symptoms who assured me my GP would make contact. Friday came and i still hadn't heard so a friend rang again for me and I have been prescribed 2 inhalers.
I haven't improved at all and I would like to be tested. Should I ring my GP again or can I skip this step.
He didn't seem to appreciate that I hadn't attended his practice since 2014.

I have a wheeze and chest pains and never had asthma. Waiting since Wednesday for call from HSE after doctor referral. Sonic2000 it's worth checking I'd say.

kingstevii

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Source?
Did you not read what I said?
It was pretty clear. Actually perfectly clear.

Ok. I'm gonna call bs on that one though.

PaddyGannon

Waiting a week now Dublin area, starting to feel a little better now thankfully.

lawrencesummers

kingstevii wrote: »

Ok. I'm gonna call bs on that one though.

Cool, Call it whatever you want but I’m just passing on what I’m told, and I’m gonna take his opinion over yours.

Emma2019

I rang my GP on morning of Monday 16th March. I had come back from abroad and had a persistent cough and a fever and pains, but they were only for one night.

Got a text to come in for testing (Dublin) on Friday afternoon 20th March. They only gave me an hours notice and no way to contact them to let them know if I didn't have car but how and ever. Was told it would be 2/3 days for results but haven't heard anything yet. Not sure if 2/3 days counts over the weekend though.

I'm feeling fine now but hoping I haven't had it as I'd like to be able to go for a jog and to the supermarket for myself.

Deirdre5

Emma2019 wrote: »

I rang my GP on morning of Monday 16th March. I had come back from abroad and had a persistent cough and a fever and pains, but they were only for one night.

Got a text to come in for testing (Dublin) on Friday afternoon 20th March. They only gave me an hours notice and no way to contact them to let them know if I didn't have car but how and ever. Was told it would be 2/3 days for results but haven't heard anything yet. Not sure if 2/3 days counts over the weekend though.

I'm feeling fine now but hoping I haven't had it as I'd like to be able to go for a jog and to the supermarket for myself.

I'm afraid that's going to happen me, I'll get a text to tell me to go to a drive-thru and i have no car. all that waiting for nothing

Notsomindful

Deirdre5 wrote: »

I'm afraid that's going to happen me, I'll get a text to tell me to go to a drive-thru and i have no car. all that waiting for nothing

I'm the exact same. I dont drive and dont have anyone available to drive me that isnt high risk.

My youngest is sick as well since yesterday and her gp wants me tested to rule out if anything else is causing the sickness our house

JP Liz V1

WHO is saying test test test but they delay in testing ( over a week ) is disgraceful

never_mind

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Next time Im speaking to an ER doctor and he says something il ask him for a source because essentially I don’t trust his years of training, his difficult to attain qualifications and his plentiful experience. Yea right.

That’s what he said.
Do what you want with it but it makes sense to me.


I’m sure in 12 months time there will be faster, more accurate tests but at the moment it’s pretty obvious they are limited.

Doctors can say stupid, ridiculous, and scare-mongering things like anyone: they are not perfect. A local pharmacist I know shared the neurofen message that was going around and yes I asked her where he source was... and this was on her shop’s FB page!

Saying 75% of negatives are actually positives is a huge thing to say - if you can’t back it up with scientific evidence (which as a doctor he should be able to do) then there is no basis to this. It’s scare-mongering, simple as that.

lawrencesummers

never_mind wrote: »

Doctors can say stupid, ridiculous, and scare-mongering things like anyone: they are not perfect. A local pharmacist I know shared the neurofen message that was going around and yes I asked her where he source was... and this was on her shop’s FB page!

Saying 75% of negatives are actually positives is a huge thing to say - if you can’t back it up with scientific evidence (which as a doctor he should be able to do) then there is no basis to this. It’s scare-mongering, simple as that.

I don’t want to be stating the obvious, but pharmacists and doctors are very very very different.

If you want to ask for a doctor to back up any statement they make then work away, I’m just repeating what I heard and to be honest it makes sense to me for a number of reasons.

I should also point out that for anyone to say 100% of tests Of this virus are accurate is not able to be backed up by any data either. It’s early days, these tests are new, have no gone through any rigorous approval regimen like other medical devices do and depending on what type of the two available tests they are doing they are limited.

Manach

A relative - 6 days.

milhous

lawrencesummers wrote: »

I don’t want to be stating the obvious, but pharmacists and doctors are very very very different.

If you want to ask for a doctor to back up any statement they make then work away, I’m just repeating what I heard and to be honest it makes sense to me for a number of reasons.

I should also point out that for anyone to say 100% of tests Of this virus are accurate is not able to be backed up by any data either. It’s early days, these tests are new, have no gone through any rigorous approval regimen like other medical devices do and depending on what type of the two available tests they are doing they are limited.

I'd say it isn't that your doc said anything wrong. More like you misinterpreted what he said and then posted online with no source because there is none. There would literally be no point in testing with such figures.
Also this type of testing isn't new.

Can we get back to wait times in different areas.

lawrencesummers

milhous wrote: »

I'd say it isn't that your doc said anything wrong. More like you misinterpreted what he said and then posted online with no source because there is none. There would literally be no point in testing with such figures.
Also this type of testing isn't new.

Can we get back to wait times in different areas.

No.
I heard him loud and clear and it makes perfect sense to me.

How don’t people realise that the test doesn’t tell you if you HAD the virus, it tells you if you HAVE the virus? There is not a test available YET to see if you have had the virus.

With all that has gone on in this country over the last 4 years do people not have any bit of skepticism at the limitations and errors that Medical tests produce?????

Keep it simple.
If your sick, with any bit of a temperature, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, head cold or any other symptom that you usually get during a cold or fly then just assume that you have the virus and act accordingly.

Testing is not the silver bullet that will solve this. That’s a vaccine but we won’t see that for 12 months.

milhous

lawrencesummers wrote: »

No.
I heard him loud and clear and it makes perfect sense to me.

How don’t people realise that the test doesn’t tell you if you HAD the virus, it tells you if you HAVE the virus? There is not a test available YET to see if you have had the virus.

With all that has gone on in this country over the last 4 years do people not have any bit of skepticism at the limitations and errors that Medical tests produce?????

Keep it simple.
If your sick, with any bit of a temperature, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, head cold or any other symptom that you usually get during a cold or fly then just assume that you have the virus and act accordingly.

Testing is not the silver bullet that will solve this. That’s a vaccine but we won’t see that for 12 months.

There you go. He didn't say the accuracy of the test was poor if you are actually are positive. He said that you may be over the illness and no longer test positive. So you understood that but didn't relay that info. on accurately... Leading us to belief your doc was saying the test was wrong 75%. They are not the same thing.

Anyway you are correct, as per HSE guidelines, if you do have any of the symptoms, self isolate and book in for a test(through your gp).
With testing times of up to a week and more in some places I belive your doc is correct, a lot of ppl won't test positive but as they ramp up testing and the amount of centers hopefully the waiting time will go down.

Quicker testing would be great, would mean instead of self isolating for two weeks because we're not sure if we had it or not we'd have a turn around of 4 days.. The problem isn't with the testing method, it's the turnaround time.

ShaneU

Waiting since Friday, cough started a week ago, can barely put a sentence together without coughing

GaGa21

Symptoms onset Fri 13th. Called GP Monday but was not deemed necessary for testing. Still symptomatic on Friday 20th so requested call from GP for a follow up. Was then told to self isolate and referred for testing. Still waiting and will probably test negative if I don't get a test by Friday.
Still some breathing symptoms remain but today is the first day I'm feeling anyway we'll again
Midlands location.

Klonker

Does the GP ask when referring you if you have transport to attend the drive through testing? Seems crazy if not.

McGiver

never_mind wrote:

Saying 75% of negatives are actually positives is a huge thing to say - if you can’t back it up with scientific evidence (which as a doctor he should be able to do) then there is no basis to this. It’s scare-mongering, simple as that.

The Covid PCR test accuracy is only approx 60%.

And here you go re negatives.

The results showed that 601 patients (59%) had positive RT-PCR results, and 888 (88%) had positive chest CT scans. The sensitivity of chest CT in suggesting COVID-19 was 97%, based on positive RT-PCR results. In patients with negative RT-PCR results, 75% (308 of 413 patients) had positive chest CT findings. Of these, 48% were considered as highly likely cases, with 33% as probable cases. By analysis of serial RT-PCR assays and CT scans, the interval between the initial negative to positive RT-PCR results was 4 to 8 days.

CT scan is the way to go in clinical practice.

milhous

McGiver wrote: »

The Covid PCR test accuracy is only approx 60%.
L


CT scan is the way to go in clinical practice.

https://www.acr.org/Advocacy-and-Economics/ACR-Position-Statements/Recommendations-for-Chest-Radiography-and-CT-for-Suspected-COVID19-Infection

Although 60% seems low. Going to look for sauce

Sexual Chocolate

Klonker wrote: »

Does the GP ask when referring you if you have transport to attend the drive through testing? Seems crazy if not.

I was never asked but I do have my own car so don't mind travelling. I do feel though that people should be asked as some are not as fortunate as others with transport.

HairySalmon

Waiting since last Wednesday, only got the text to say I’m in the queue this evening

howyanow

In Dublin waiting few days only.I wasn't told how or where I would be tested.I have no car so not sure who to inform or what to do.GP never asked if I drove or not.
Anyone got any advice?
Thanks

mackeire

This is day 9 now in North wexford

lawrencesummers

milhous wrote: »

There you go. He didn't say the accuracy of the test was poor if you are actually are positive. He said that you may be over the illness and no longer test positive. So you understood that but didn't relay that info. on accurately... Leading us to belief your doc was saying the test was wrong 75%. They are not the same thing.

Anyway you are correct, as per HSE guidelines, if you do have any of the symptoms, self isolate and book in for a test(through your gp).
With testing times of up to a week and more in some places I belive your doc is correct, a lot of ppl won't test positive but as they ramp up testing and the amount of centers hopefully the waiting time will go down.

Quicker testing would be great, would mean instead of self isolating for two weeks because we're not sure if we had it or not we'd have a turn around of 4 days.. The problem isn't with the testing method, it's the turnaround time.

Thanks for telling me what you think I heard, but your wrong.

I relayed exactly what he said.


He said a negative can be wrong 75% of the time and to isolate as if you have it.


He never said you may be over the illness and test negative, thats what I figured was the case, that’s what makes a lot of sense.

People are putting far to much stock in testing.

lawrencesummers

McGiver wrote: »

The Covid PCR test accuracy is only approx 60%.

And here you go re negatives.



CT scan is the way to go in clinical practice.

Can you elaborate on that please, because Your article clearly says “ The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not currently recommend CXR or CT to diagnose COVID”

mirrorwall14

Close relative doc in a hospital. Referred Sunday. Will see how long it takes. Off currently as symptomatic

redzerdrog

I am waiting 6 days now and I was fairly calm about it but last night my wife and 4 mates that are also awaiting testing since last Wednesday/Thursday got a text to say they are in a queue. However I didn't get one and was referred before all of them

milhous

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Thanks for telling me what you think I heard, but your wrong.

I relayed exactly what he said.


He said a negative can be wrong 75% of the time and to isolate as if you have it.


He never said you may be over the illness and test negative, thats what I figured was the case, that’s what makes a lot of sense.

People are putting far to much stock in testing.

From what I've read there's not much stock to the 75%. No proper journals are quoting figures so if they're not confident enough then I don't believe anyone can be.


The most comprehensive results were extrapolated from the study above but they weren't under ideal conditions coming from Wuhan at the beginning of this.

Negatives or weak positive are really high in the first 1 to 5 days (sorry don't have A source but I did read it). Then after that all I'm reading is it has a high % of accuracy. Suppose 75% could be considered high.

I for one would like to get tested now. A positive result would be ideal, get this **** out of the way.

momum5

Day 9 here also.. still waiting for swab test. Limerick. Got apology text too last night.