My D’s friends had classic symptoms—fever, headaches and more but never were tested in NYC and LA, so they’ll never be in totals either. It persisted for about 2 weeks and they were exhausted though they had been healthy prior to illness. There are many, many uncounted folks who MAY have had covid19 but aren’t in any totals.
My mammogram, podiatrist and cardiologist all cancelled. Have done phone appts with two other docs. Had an echo and pulmonologist visit 3/16 before things were totally shut down. If it weren’t for serious concerns, I would have rescheduled.
This is why I/he wanted the test. It would be helpful to know for sure. So many who get tested turn up negative - what they had was something else. But some are, indeed, positive. If he knew he were positive then once he’s done he could have happily volunteered more to continue to help out. He most likely got this volunteering for his church - trying to be helpful. It was either that or the grocery store. He hasn’t been out otherwise and he only did the volunteering once.
H just told me he looked up my lad’s county stats and they have 40+ cases with two deaths. Then they tell people those are just the tested stats - there are likely many more out there due to not qualifying for tests.
I can stay long enough to keep folks updated. I have asked him to keep me updated daily with how he’s feeling and if DIL comes down with it. I’m sure he’ll at least be sending us the bill. That part still has me furious - going for a supposedly free test, not getting it, and getting what’s likely thousands of dollars of tests instead. I guess hospitals need to be getting money somehow (sigh).
Does anyone know if they could tell anything from the chest x-ray? Med school lad isn’t sure. We don’t know how much to read between the lines with the nurse not being suited up before, but being totally suited up afterward. Are they on autopilot giving him directions for Covid or could they tell something and they know, but can’t officially say anything without the test?
Being a mama I wish I could get rid of the headaches for him. I’ll also be content when he’s totally over it vs now when I keep reminding myself about the odds.
Hope he is feeling better!
The unevenness of who gets tested could be the desire to keep numbers down, or the limited # of tests available. I just emerged from the basement, where we had to sleep last night due to the horrible storms, and am watching George Stephanopolous say he got tested because his wife was sick. She tested positive. So he got tested. No symptoms other than one night several weeks ago of a backache that he thought was from a workout. He tested positive. So there are surely are many, many who have many symptoms (your son included) who may likely be positive.
I’ve had GI issues for a few days. I attributed it to my cooking, but DH is not having stomach problems, so who knows. I read a little about some folks having GI symptoms as first or only COVID symptoms. Hope not, as I’ve been pretty careful, rarely going out, and using gloves, a mask and sanitizer if I do.
It was weird last night taking a box filled with backup phone chargers, flashlights, toilet paper and hand sanitizer to the basement with us .
@creekland, I’m sorry your son doesn’t feel well. Please keep us updated.
I do think chest x-rays show something with covid. I’ve read that the scan looks like ground glass. But if they didn’t test your son the pictures probably did look like a low grade lung infection of another sort and they were just following protocol. It wouldn’t do your son’s community, or the hospital, any good to send an infected person back out into the community without at least telling them that they likely are positive.
I hope he feels better soon.
@Creekland - age is on his side. Many people, especially people his age, do recover without any medical intervention. Looking forward to some good news soon. Sending you a lot of good wishes.
I’m looking forward to antibody tests. The data from those will be really interesting to see - though the only account of those I’ve seen so far was in deleted posts in the other thread. Supposedly only 14%(?) of untested folks in a hard hit German town had antibodies showing they had had it. That’s not encouraging. One data point doesn’t give us the full picture though.
I really want med school lad to get an antibody test. Over Valentine’s Day he had the worst GI issue that he’s ever had up in NY. It was so bad he said he almost admitted himself to the hospital - he was monitoring his dehydration and vitals. It took him about 4 days to get over it with fatigue continuing afterward. Fortunately, he was able to take a couple days off from his med school rotation duties, they sent him home an additional day, and he had his “weekend” as part of them, so he didn’t see many people (lived alone due to his roommate being at an away rotation). However, very soon afterward essentially everyone he knew got “the flu” and they were out for longer. He “mysteriously” missed the flu - was even wondering at the time if his GI issue gave him some protection. I asked him recently if the flu sufferers were tested to be sure it was the flu and he said no - it was just assumed. In hindsight now I wonder if it all really was the flu - or Covid. Covid is all around up there now - was he part of the first wave or not? Only antibodies will tell us.
@Creekland , my son’s Gf’s father is a radiologist in NYC. Acc to him, COVID19 scans can be apparent. However, those apparent scans alone do not qualify a person to a test.
There are not enough tests out there. Some of the tests have a high false positive. A lot of people are being told that the are a “presumed positive” without the test and a lot of people with the virus have no clue—nor died the CDC, our government or medical system, if they are positive.
The lack of tests both for active virus and antibodies has driven this crisis , IMO.
And, yes, I agree that those who are feeling terribly ill and get multiple diagnostic tests are at risk for being held financially responsible for those tests When one free COVID19 test would have been free and could have explained the symptoms.
I fear that a lot of the bluster about aid is just that. I don’t know anyone getting the supplemental Unemployment, the small business loans, nor do I personally know one single person who has gotten the COVID19 test. And As many here know, my home is within 3 miles of the New Rochelle epicenter. Even there , you had to swear to a direct contact giving names, dates, place. Or be hospital admittance material. My company has special Corona sick pay benefits but the only way to get it is to get a COVID19 positive result for self or close family. Needless to say, no one has qualified.
I’m reading blogs, FB narratives, obituaries and hearing about this and that person, whose doctor says they have it, probably have it, should treat their illnesses as though they have it, go into quarantine as though they have it , even make the NYT with their stories of their experiences having it…and they haven’t been tested for it. There should be far more of an outcry about this.
As I said earlier, I’m in an outlier area right now. Only people who were out of county and had direct contact with a hospitalized case have gotten the test here. The positives are attributed to this county only because that’s where those handful of people officially live. Anyone sick of dying, get those conditions attributed to other conditions. Ain’t no Corona Virus here, is the the proud word. Of course, that one “ can’t get no testin’ for it “ isnt part of the bragging.
So this country for all its first class medicine isn’t making the test available for nearly 99% of its population. What the flock kind of statistics are the result of this? And we accuse other countries about Fudging and hiding their numbers?
Re testing: Our experience was that it’s based on availability. My husband qualified for one mainly because he works at a medical facility. His guidance was he could physically return to the workplace in a week, no mention of two negative tests being required. He was told I wouldn’t be tested but that I should self-quarantine for two weeks.
I, too, am really looking forward to antibody data.
My husband is on Day 5 since first experiencing symptoms.
Fever, cough, taste is “off”, headache.
Of course we are hopeful his is a “mild” case. We are both a little nervous about the second week — from what we’ve read about the course of illness.
He is anxious to get back to work. (!!!)
I just got a form letter from my mammo center reminding me it’s been a year since my last one. Included in the envelope was an insert that all screening mammos have been cancelled since 3/28. I wasn’t planning to make an appt until after I start on Medicare in a few months anyway, and even that appt is dependent on what’s going on with covid.
When this virus settles down the breast surgeons, sonographers and all those who work in breast imaging will need to work 24 7 to make up for months of women’s missed exams.
I was thinking it would be the hairdressers and the barbers that will be on overtime!
How about dentists? All those cleanings that have been missed are going to need to be scheduled.
I think a lot of non-essential services are going to be very busy when we finally get past this stage of the pandemic.
We found out yesterday that one of my father-in-law’s cousins passed away from C-19. She was in her 80s. Another is in the hospital.
We live in King County, WA, now but we got married in Bergen County NJ. Her extended family is in NYC and Bergen and Passaic counties in northern NJ. Our generation is much more scattered.
Even now it is very difficult to get tested in King County WA. UW Medicine is doing a little better for their patients and employees because they have their own processing lab. My wife’s clinic was given 14 test kits the 2nd week of March. People were coming in and calling with the symptoms but did not meet CDC and WA DOH guidelines. They are no longer seeing patients with respiratory symptoms. Our neighbor’s daughter who is an ER nurse probably had it two weeks ago but could not get tested.
W signed up for the antibody study run by the NIH. We will see if she gets selected. She had been seeing patients with coronavirus symptoms back in February but was not using PPE until March.
@Midwest67 My husband’s trajectory sounds a couple-few days ahead of yours. Hope he feels and stays well soon!
D1 works in the ER in a state that has been hard hard with Covid-19. Her hospital system told all the physicians not to test for Covid 19 unless the patient needs to be admitted to the ICU. Everyone else with symptoms is being told to presume they’re positive and should self-isolate. Not enough tests available.
Our Governor holds daily press briefings. On Friday, she was asked what so many CV-19 tests results have been delayed. She explained that while we have the samples, and sufficient testing capacity(enough machines to run the samples), testing reagents had been used up and the reagents the federal government supplied to the State Public Health Dept all were way past their expiration dates and unusable. The PHD has been trying to buy the reagents on the open market and simply cannot find a reliable supplier.
There are still widespread shortages of Covid tests availability.
Last night I heard a report from a nurse in Washington State who tested positive many weeks ago (when we first heard about the outbreak in Kirkland) and has been isolating ever since. Her retests keep coming back positive. Although she doesn’t have symptoms anymore - it still means she is shedding the virus and still needs to be in isolation.
I don’t think feeling better or deemed recovered because you don’t have symptoms anymore, means you can’t still infect people.
And may I say this is just freaking horrible.
You may, indeed.