Anecdotal, but a former co-worker of my wife is sick. She's saying the doctor believes she has COVID-19, but won't test her. WTF? What are her options?
What's the story with doctor's *not* testing and saying "you probably have it"?
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Last: 5 yr ago by JDCAG (NOT Colin)
What does testing change?
Drive in testing is available pretty much in every major city now.
At Home tests should be available on Monday.
At Home tests should be available on Monday.
Quit obsessing about a test would be a good place to start.
Not enough tests to go around. Docs are reserving the tests they have for the highest risk individuals.
We don't have enough tests to test everyone. We are saving them for the high risk and critically ill people. We have had cases where we swabbed someone and sent it in but the health department would not test due to patients not meeting their guidelines for testing.
Good news is that for low risk people, they are unlikely to suffer illness requiring hospitalization, so they can just stay at home and treat it symptomatically with over the counter medicines, just like any other cold unless their symptoms worsen to the point they think they might need to be hospitalized.
We do not currently have a treatment we can prescribe for this disease in patients with minimal or no symptoms.
At that point they should present to the ER. If they do require hospitalization, they will then meet requirements for testing.
Good news is that for low risk people, they are unlikely to suffer illness requiring hospitalization, so they can just stay at home and treat it symptomatically with over the counter medicines, just like any other cold unless their symptoms worsen to the point they think they might need to be hospitalized.
We do not currently have a treatment we can prescribe for this disease in patients with minimal or no symptoms.
At that point they should present to the ER. If they do require hospitalization, they will then meet requirements for testing.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
dmart90 said:
Anecdotal, but a former co-worker of my wife is sick. She's saying the doctor believes she has COVID-19, but won't test her. WTF? What are her options?
If you thought you had the flu, would you run to the doctor for a test, or would you stay at home?
The stats say, you'd just stay at home.
Testing doesn't change the treatment. Who gives a ***** You isolate until it passes or it gets bad enough for hospital treatment at which point you will be tested.
This manufactured test outrage is ridiculous.
This manufactured test outrage is ridiculous.
So did you think all the doctors, nurses and sick people complaining about lack of testing the last week or so were just making things up?
Another thing to remember, tests are only being administered to those who likely have it, yet 95% are coming back negative.
Not having more tests is a major fail. I know a number of people that are concerned they may have CV and they aren't able to get tested. They practice isolation to a degree and then as they feel better start to loosen their practices. Who knows if they have it, but I guarantee if they knew for a fact they did they would adhere to isolation MUCH better.
OK - she's going to the drive thru test today.
But...
a - Why would the doctor say he thinks she has it but refuse to test
b - Not tell her to go to the drive thru?
She's not in the at risk category - young woman - but that shouldn't matter.
But...
a - Why would the doctor say he thinks she has it but refuse to test
b - Not tell her to go to the drive thru?
She's not in the at risk category - young woman - but that shouldn't matter.
HumbleAg04 said:
Testing doesn't change the treatment. Who gives a ***** You isolate until it passes or it gets bad enough for hospital treatment at which point you will be tested.
This manufactured test outrage is ridiculous.
South Korea is probably the best success story of any country with an outbreak so far, and they went from rapidly spreading uncontrolled outbreak to well controlled minimal spread in a matter of a couple weeks. And they did it all with widespread testing. It's hard to isolate the infectious when you don't know who they are. The lack of tests is a serious problem. And a huge glaring failure of the US response so far.
It's too late for testing now. Testing would have been incredibly beneficial in the early stages as infected could been isolated and contacts identified and monitored. Now, that it's out in the wild it's untraceable so testing doesn't matter. Due to limited number of tests they are being saved for critical patients.
Which is kind of backwards. Here is the thing the protocol for testing is such that you almost have to it. Yet, in Texas as of yesterday late afternoon, 97% of the tests are coming back negative. Point being the sick are going to self quarantine anyway. What we need to be doing is testing the healthy people that are still out and about. I feel fine but have been in office all last week and will be next week. What if I am an asymptomatic spreader?
zebros_95 said:
Which is kind of backwards. Here is the thing the protocol for testing is such that you almost have to it. Yet, in Texas as of yesterday late afternoon, 97% of the tests are coming back negative. Point being the sick are going to self quarantine anyway. What we need to be doing is testing the healthy people that are still out and about. I feel fine but have been in office all last week and will be next week. What if I am an asymptomatic spreader?
Disagree 100% on this. There a whole lot of people who insist on going about their lives as normal even when they're so sick they can barely function.
Proposition Joe said:
So did you think all the doctors, nurses and sick people complaining about lack of testing the last week or so were just making things up?
I noticed a lot of Forum 16 folks trying to downplay the problem with the lack of testing and test kits.
Some people are asymptomatic and have come into contact with someone with the virus. I'm sure they'd like to know so they can quarantine themselves from others.
John Francis Donaghy said:HumbleAg04 said:
Testing doesn't change the treatment. Who gives a ***** You isolate until it passes or it gets bad enough for hospital treatment at which point you will be tested.
This manufactured test outrage is ridiculous.
South Korea is probably the best success story of any country with an outbreak so far, and they went from rapidly spreading uncontrolled outbreak to well controlled minimal spread in a matter of a couple weeks. And they did it all with widespread testing. It's hard to isolate the infectious when you don't know who they are. The lack of tests is a serious problem. And a huge glaring failure of the US response so far.
THIS! If you have a confirmed case, now you can backtrack to the people the patient was in contact with and have them self quarantine. That's how you slow it down. That's why testing matters! Using it only for at risk patients doesn't help stop the spread.
and mass testing is essential in contact tracing. Isolation for those that may have been exposed and infected but not showing symptoms. If you cant warn people they may be sick they cant take adequate precautions.John Francis Donaghy said:HumbleAg04 said:
Testing doesn't change the treatment. Who gives a ***** You isolate until it passes or it gets bad enough for hospital treatment at which point you will be tested.
This manufactured test outrage is ridiculous.
South Korea is probably the best success story of any country with an outbreak so far, and they went from rapidly spreading uncontrolled outbreak to well controlled minimal spread in a matter of a couple weeks. And they did it all with widespread testing. It's hard to isolate the infectious when you don't know who they are. The lack of tests is a serious problem. And a huge glaring failure of the US response so far.
dmart90 said:
OK - she's going to the drive thru test today.
But...
a - Why would the doctor say he thinks she has it but refuse to test
b - Not tell her to go to the drive thru?
She's not in the at risk category - young woman - but that shouldn't matter.
Your last statement is exactly the reason. If you have the flu, you go home, you take a fever reducer, get rest and get tons of liquids if you are not in danger. Same goes for this! Tests are not important to see "Who has it". They are important to see what lives might be saved by determining a positive diagnosis. After you go drive thru, even if she is positive...Nothing will change. Advice will be identical.
I once had viral bronchitis. My doc gave me 2 options:
1- i give you meds and you will feel better in 7 days
2- you go home and rest and you will feel better in a week.
It does matter. We don't have enough tests for everyone. We are saving them for the very ill and patients who are at risk of becoming very ill right now. Hopefully that changes soon, but we are trying to work with what we have.dmart90 said:
OK - she's going to the drive thru test today.
But...
a - Why would the doctor say he thinks she has it but refuse to test
b - Not tell her to go to the drive thru?
She's not in the at risk category - young woman - but that shouldn't matter.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
"THIS! If you have a confirmed case, now you can backtrack to the people the patient was in contact with and have them self quarantine. That's how you slow it down. That's why testing matters! Using it only for at risk patients doesn't help stop the spread"
I call bs on this concept, try and give me a list of everyone you have come in contact with in the last 14 days, keep in mind that is everyone who has come within 6 ft of you and anyone who has touched something within 6 hours of you! Good luck with that! At this stage The testing doesn't really matter as much as the symptoms if you have fever assume you have the virus and self quarantine.
I call bs on this concept, try and give me a list of everyone you have come in contact with in the last 14 days, keep in mind that is everyone who has come within 6 ft of you and anyone who has touched something within 6 hours of you! Good luck with that! At this stage The testing doesn't really matter as much as the symptoms if you have fever assume you have the virus and self quarantine.
I completely understand the reasoning of if you're sick, you're sick. Stay home and treat unless you have breathing issues. Positive test doesn't change treatment.
I'm not criticizing doctors, they're working with what they have. I just think testing would greatly improve our knowledge of how this virus is moving through the population and how it is affecting people. I hear lots of things like estimates, approximately, we believe, based on this we think this, etc. Because some of the symptoms for covid-19 are similar to other illnesses its hard to know what someone has unless they're tested. If that data isn't captured then we aren't able to learn from it. I know there still aren't enough tests, but just because we don't have enough tests doesn't mean that it wouldn't be helpful if we did.
I'm not criticizing doctors, they're working with what they have. I just think testing would greatly improve our knowledge of how this virus is moving through the population and how it is affecting people. I hear lots of things like estimates, approximately, we believe, based on this we think this, etc. Because some of the symptoms for covid-19 are similar to other illnesses its hard to know what someone has unless they're tested. If that data isn't captured then we aren't able to learn from it. I know there still aren't enough tests, but just because we don't have enough tests doesn't mean that it wouldn't be helpful if we did.
dmart90 said:John Francis Donaghy said:HumbleAg04 said:
Testing doesn't change the treatment. Who gives a ***** You isolate until it passes or it gets bad enough for hospital treatment at which point you will be tested.
This manufactured test outrage is ridiculous.
South Korea is probably the best success story of any country with an outbreak so far, and they went from rapidly spreading uncontrolled outbreak to well controlled minimal spread in a matter of a couple weeks. And they did it all with widespread testing. It's hard to isolate the infectious when you don't know who they are. The lack of tests is a serious problem. And a huge glaring failure of the US response so far.
THIS! If you have a confirmed case, now you can backtrack to the people the patient was in contact with and have them self quarantine. That's how you slow it down. That's why testing matters! Using it only for at risk patients doesn't help stop the spread.
Most won't argue that.
But despite what POTUS says, there aren't enough tests, so they have to decide when to use it. Given that, the choice is to use it when it will make a difference in how you treat it - i.e. high risk folks - and tell everyone else to assume they have it and contact those who they've been in contact with so they can self quarantine/assess.
You're making an argument based on a country with great testing rollout and coverage and applying it here, where we don't.
It sucks, but that's where we are.
mccjames said:
"THIS! If you have a confirmed case, now you can backtrack to the people the patient was in contact with and have them self quarantine. That's how you slow it down. That's why testing matters! Using it only for at risk patients doesn't help stop the spread"
I call bs on this concept, try and give me a list of everyone you have come in contact with in the last 14 days, keep in mind that is everyone who has come within 6 ft of you and anyone who has touched something within 6 hours of you! Good luck with that! At this stage The testing doesn't really matter as much as the symptoms if you have fever assume you have the virus and self quarantine.
So because you can't back-trace 100% of the people you have come in contact with then the entire concept is BS?
If some guy with AIDS had sex with 10 people over the last month, would it be worth it if you only found/notified 8 of those people, or because you can't find all 10 there's just no point in letting them know they shouldn't be spreading it?
mccjames said:
"THIS! If you have a confirmed case, now you can backtrack to the people the patient was in contact with and have them self quarantine. That's how you slow it down. That's why testing matters! Using it only for at risk patients doesn't help stop the spread"
I call bs on this concept, try and give me a list of everyone you have come in contact with in the last 14 days, keep in mind that is everyone who has come within 6 ft of you and anyone who has touched something within 6 hours of you! Good luck with that! At this stage The testing doesn't really matter as much as the symptoms if you have fever assume you have the virus and self quarantine.
This is mostly due to half our population not taking it seriously - and most that do, only doing so over the last 3-5 days.
If everyone took it seriously from day 1, you wouldn't have nearly the difficulty - that's the whole problem - we still behave in a way that makes contact tracing impossible and we shouldn't be.
Most didn't take it seriously because they weren't instructed to.
8 days ago Broadway Austin (11th largest city in the nation) at the Bass Hall (2900 capacity) still had plans to go on ("and just do a good job cleaning"). That would have been 2000+ mostly 40-year-olds-and-older all packed in an auditorium together. How ridiculous does that sound just a week later?
5 days ago Fort Worth (13th largest city in the nation) was still allowing people at bars and restaurants, they just had to be at 50% occupancy or less (since we all know the bar-folk were sure to space out).
We've gone from "elbow bump instead of handshake" to "assume you're infected and stay 6 feet away from people".
And each of these "suggestions" have come complete with press conferences from the President and Co. that seemingly contradicted what each other were saying without any kind of straight answers being given. Your common American who DOES watch the news regularly can't really get a straight answer on what's OK and what's not -- now think about the millions who don't watch the news and can't critically think at a high level?
8 days ago Broadway Austin (11th largest city in the nation) at the Bass Hall (2900 capacity) still had plans to go on ("and just do a good job cleaning"). That would have been 2000+ mostly 40-year-olds-and-older all packed in an auditorium together. How ridiculous does that sound just a week later?
5 days ago Fort Worth (13th largest city in the nation) was still allowing people at bars and restaurants, they just had to be at 50% occupancy or less (since we all know the bar-folk were sure to space out).
We've gone from "elbow bump instead of handshake" to "assume you're infected and stay 6 feet away from people".
And each of these "suggestions" have come complete with press conferences from the President and Co. that seemingly contradicted what each other were saying without any kind of straight answers being given. Your common American who DOES watch the news regularly can't really get a straight answer on what's OK and what's not -- now think about the millions who don't watch the news and can't critically think at a high level?
It adds to the number of mild cases ... will bring the numbers downRandyAg98 said:
What does testing change?
Until you know who the sick are and where they're at, the response is necessarily going to be of the broad, sweeping, in-exacting nature they have been so far.HumbleAg04 said:
Testing doesn't change the treatment. Who gives a ***** You isolate until it passes or it gets bad enough for hospital treatment at which point you will be tested.
This manufactured test outrage is ridiculous.
That's why everyone should care and everyone should be upset about the lack of tests.
unmade bed said:
It's too late for testing now. Testing would have been incredibly beneficial in the early stages as infected could been isolated and contacts identified and monitored. Now, that it's out in the wild it's untraceable so testing doesn't matter. Due to limited number of tests they are being saved for critical patients.
The issue has never been just about the number of tests available, but now it's much less about the number of tests than it is the other finite resources needed to administer the testing. Healthcare workers and PPE are all scarce and overburdened or on the cusp of being so. People wanting to get tested who don't need to get tested just add to that.
If we can test without additional pressure on scarce resources, then great, but we aren't there now. Any test that requires a healthcare worker or PPE at any stage of the process has to be limited in its usage, not because of scarcity of tests themselves, but because of the scarcity of healthcare workers and PPE.
If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.....
It's a **** show. Hopefully we can turn this around.
John Francis Donaghy said:HumbleAg04 said:
Testing doesn't change the treatment. Who gives a ***** You isolate until it passes or it gets bad enough for hospital treatment at which point you will be tested.
This manufactured test outrage is ridiculous.
South Korea is probably the best success story of any country with an outbreak so far, and they went from rapidly spreading uncontrolled outbreak to well controlled minimal spread in a matter of a couple weeks. And they did it all with widespread testing. It's hard to isolate the infectious when you don't know who they are. The lack of tests is a serious problem. And a huge glaring failure of the US response so far.
I disagree. SK like Singapore has a very rule following culture. The entire country acted like they all had it. If you tested positive you didn't live your life any different had you tested negative.
HumbleAg04 said:John Francis Donaghy said:HumbleAg04 said:
Testing doesn't change the treatment. Who gives a ***** You isolate until it passes or it gets bad enough for hospital treatment at which point you will be tested.
This manufactured test outrage is ridiculous.
South Korea is probably the best success story of any country with an outbreak so far, and they went from rapidly spreading uncontrolled outbreak to well controlled minimal spread in a matter of a couple weeks. And they did it all with widespread testing. It's hard to isolate the infectious when you don't know who they are. The lack of tests is a serious problem. And a huge glaring failure of the US response so far.
I disagree. SK like Singapore has a very rule following culture. The entire country acted like they all had it. If you tested positive you didn't live your life any different had you tested negative.
SK is literally using cell phone data, banking data, and social media monitoring to track all interactions. This whole "they test more" is only half the story. They are literally China with a smile.
I do not want my government to have that power. I didn't want it when terrorists were attacking the country and I don't want it now. Stop comparing us to SK unless you are also ok with the VAST expansion of personal surveillance by the state.
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