The NY Times has several obituaries of people who’ve died of COVID-19.
In our small town (population about 3,500 spread over 25 square miles) I know one person who is positive, but recovering at home.
My next-door neighbors have been tested. It’s been a week, and they are still awaiting results. They are 61 and 59. I would bet money that she has it as her symptoms are textbook. And it’s been more than two weeks. She didn’t recognize the symptoms at first. Unfortunately, two days before they were tested, dh and I were at their house briefly, but, so far, we feel fine. I’m immuno-compromised so dh has been out more than I have, but he doesn’t leave the house more than once or twice a week. Ds1’s gf was exposed to three co-workers with it, one of whom is in critical condition, but, so far, they are fine.
My sister’s test just came back negative. She was tested yesterday. She was surprised how quickly she got her result.
@emilybee can you share where she lives? Even just the state? My neighbors have now been told that it might take 10 business days. WTH?
We know folks in WI whose were told the lab never got around to testing their samples because they had to prioritize the hospitalize patients. Now the sample is no longer viable for testing. They were told if their breathing became impaired to go to the hospital, otherwise to stay home.
Thats just terrible, @momofsenior1
My friend’s BIL made it through his birthday, but is still in ICU with new complications (liver function impaired). This isnt pretty.
Fairfield County, Connecticut. It borders Westchester County, NY.
@jym626, sorry your friend’s BIL isn’t doing well. Hugs to you and her.
In our state tests are taking up to 2 weeks, IF you can even get one. Most of the tests done in our state are sent to out of state labs. A whole lot of additional infections can happen in 2 weeks.
Healthcare workers who don’t know whether they have it are sidelined until they get a firm test result. Thus more heavily burdens the other healthcare workers!
Here is information about Wisconsin from the DHS Outbreak webpage:
The State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services has two labs and can run a total of 550 tests per day. There is a two-tier priority system for deciding whose swabs are processed first: healthcare workers, and hospital patients who have symptoms. (These are the people who could spread it to more people within the healthcare system so it is extremely important that those swabs are processed).
The State of Wisconsin has a limited amount of the ingredients needed to process the tests and is reaching out to universities and private companies to find more.
My comments:
In Wisconsin you can see now that due to the limiting factors (550 tests per day and scarcity of reagents) people who are not in the two tiers described above have a lower priority and their doctors need to or should have been aware of this and sent the sample to a private lab instead.
If you are not a hospital patient and not a healthcare worker and you have symptoms, self-isolate and if you have breathing issues call your doctor.
My daughter’s lungs continue to be tender and the pain was increasing during work yesterday. On her own (yay! adulting!) she had a telemedicine conference through her health insurance. The wait time was bout 20 minutes which was reasonable.
The doctor listened to the progression of her symptoms from the very beginning. He believes she did have covid and approved of how she handled quarantine etc. He said that even though her stamina and strength have returned, it will be a longer haul with the lungs and to not push it. He gave her information on how pneumonia presents should she start coughing again or the pain continues to worsen. No diving, no swimming. She did not ask if she needs a medical evaluation before beginning those in the distant future. I vote for one.
My husband is normally such a cool cucumber that it is really unnerving to see him so concerned. I caught him pricing tickets down to her. His oldest sibling died a few years ago from an asthma attack - I think covid is pushing emotional buttons on him.
So sorry, @“Snowball City” . This has been so unnerving for so many.
My brother’s 3 year old grandson was hospitalized in early February with pneumonia, and he tested positive for HKU1, which is a form of Coronavirus. He was on a ventilator. What really gives me chills is the thought that if his illness had happened now, he may have ended up dying. We are in a Covid19 hotspot, and hospitals are stressed to the max. The little guy has multiple neurological issues, including chronic seizures. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and they may have declined to admit him. If he was in the hospital, and if decisions must be made for who gets a ventilator, who knows what could happen. I realize my what-ifs are just that … but I can’t help about it. I do what I can, which is to stay at home so I can help stop the spread.
My D1 is a ER physician and is at high risk due to both her occupation and the fact she’s pregnant.
She receives exactly one (1) n95 mask each week. She is working 6 12-hours shifts/week. (72 hours/week) She knows that by reusing her mask for so long that it’s highly contaminated, has degraded functionality and is likely putting her, her child and all of her patients at risk. She believes that it’s not a matter of IF she will get COVID-19, but WHEN.
I asked her if she would consider asking for special consideration for her pregnancy, but she says if her 70+ year old colleagues are working 72 hours/week under the same non-ideal conditions, she will too. She says this is what she signed up for when she choose her profession.
This isn’t true in all areas. The CDC now advises HCW who may have been exposed–in the absence of a positive test result-- can return to work so long as they wear a mask.
@WayOutWestMom I just happened to read this article from our local news. I don’t know if it’ll help your D at all, but I thought I’d pass the info along. 
https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/duke-finds-a-way-to-clean-coronavirus-masks-with-peroxide/
My DH has 2 employees that are positive and in the hospital but appear to be getting better (we know at least one of them was put on the malaria drug/antibiotic combo). Because my DH is a first responder, and because he had contact with them both, he was tested on Tuesday even though he had no real symptoms. We just found out late yesterday he was negative. Test took just over 48 hours to get result (we’re in the East Bay Area of California). So relieved, but he’s still at his job and so risks exposure as this thing progesses. So sorry for all those that are so sick and dying without any family there to hold their hand 
Just learned a friend of mine is waiting for results from a test. She is having mild symptoms and vacationed with someone who tested positive after the conclusion of the trip. Fortunately I’ve had no physical contact with her for years, but she is a very social person, so I fear she has infected many other people.
I live an hour from NYC. My son came home from college last Friday. He attends Binghamton. On Tuesday, he had a low fever. By Thursday, he felt terrible. Took him to urgent care, they did a flu test, which was negative. Doc said assume it’s COVID19 and act accordingly. Doc said there is a shortage of tests, and without being in the hospital, he can’t be tested. He feels much better today.
Feeling very concerned, wondering and if when it hits the rest of us. This sucks.