Who gets tested? Can anyone get tested?
The aspirin is for blood thinning to prevent blood clots (DVT, PE, stroke, etcâŠ)
Itâs possible that he was swabbed and doesnât remember it. The drugs that are given prior to and during surgery can make memories hazy. And hospitals do lots of tests that they donât mention to patients unless theyâre significant. They could ask to get copies of their test results to see if the test was done, if interested.
Did anyone see episode 9 of âLenox Hill,â filmed in a hospital during the worst part of the pandemic in NYC? Wow. Doctors and nurses who had been stoic in the face of death through the other shows were in tears. It was hard to watch.
Give me a like if you think the bulk of money/effort should be spent on treatment, esp convalescent blood, quick turnaround time testing (like less than 24 hour); and not on a vaccine.
I have a feeling covid vaccine is an oxymoron.
@Iglooo , I think who gets tested depends on where you are. Where I am, in NY state anyone can get tested, but that wasnât the case a couple of months ago.
And got a letter from Quest today, asking that we prioritize patients who need testing in the coming weeks. This, again, in CT, where prevalence is low, but resources being taken by other states.
Not sure who can get tested here, but DH was exposed to a person who tested positive and was able to get a test at the county site. CVS advertises that you can get tested there, but the screening questions ruled DH out because he has no symptoms.
Red Cross here this week only, I think, is testing donor blood for antibodies. They werenât doing that in May when I donated. DH canât give blood for another couple of weeks, maybe weâll never know if he has/had it.
Very interesting. How public health officials are staying out of Covid trouble. Masks, mail, groceries, pools, gyms, cleaning people, hair, dentists, dinners with friends, all possible issues. To our surprise, Mr. and I have been doing what Dr. Fauci himself has been doing (with small exceptions, of course- like we donât have a cleaning person or go inside the White House 
)
I really would like as many resources as possible on all prongs of fighting this thing! My reading of the science is that a vaccine is promising, but that treatments can be found sooner.
A vaccine, if identified, would be a very effective way to reduce illness and hospitalization. Antivirals have typically only had modest effects on a variety of diseases and weâve had far more success with chronic viral diseases than with acute ones. I wouldnât want to put all my eggs in any one basket.
California- my son was able to get a test at a county test site. He signed up online and took the first available slot which was a week out. He got his results yesterday morning. Test was Monday so a 4 day turnaround. Test was negative. The county had been advertising anyone can get tested who wanted but has now changed to save the slots for those who have had exposure or symptoms.
I know at our local hospitals anyone having surgery or a procedure is tested prior.
Not that I plan on going anywhere than I havenât been, but if I should need a test in CT, is the suggestion to go directly to a hospital or would the hospitals still use Quest? I went to the dentist a few days ago, and that is the most risky activity since I had my hair cut four weeks ago, but even that was not all that risky since my stylist and I were the only ones in the salon and both wore masks.
Thank you for your continued medical insights. I appreciate all the posts I read in this thread. I have nothing to contribute so just quietly read along.
Quote from a guy who is involved with the testing resources in a state that is increasing cases dramatically. I know who he is, but he did not post here, so I am removing some identifiers
I can address the testing questions. PCR testing tells you if you have a COVID-19 infection; if youâre positive you must quarantine appropriately to avoid infecting others for 14 days. You may have an active infection without any symptoms; at least 40-60% of people, mostly younger healthy adults, will have no symptoms, which is why the virus is so insidious and spreading rapidly. But, recent studies with people who tested positive on cruise ships with no symptoms, have subsequently been shown to have long term lung damage. This is very concerning because later, if you develop a respiratory illness later on, you could be very compromised.
PCR testing is absolutely needed for inpatients, ED patients, patients having surgery, healthcare workers, Long Term Care residents and staff, for the state for contact tracing to mitigate exposure from known positive patients, employer back to work programs, return to school, the worried well etc.
The positive rate, currently 25% in XX, gives daily and geographic information on the prevalence of the disease, and it is not good news. When the positive rate was 4%, I didnât wear a mask. When it was 14%, I didnât wear a mask, but I do now whenever Iâm around people. Do you get the message? I hope so. CDC estimates every positive patient infects 10 others.
COVID-19 antibody testing is needed for those who wonder/think that they have had the virus. A positive test, currently running 3.54% in XX, may indicate immunity or some level of immunity. This is important for people returning to the workplace; a positive is a good thing. Positive patients are also potential plasma donors to help arrest the infection in ill patients. Should we shut down everything? Heck no. NY already proved that when 77% of infections came from patients staying at home; we need fresh air. My board tonight approved XXXâs partnership with a world renown diagnostic manufacturer of a PCR test. We will ramp up to 66k PCR tests/day over July and August, literally 18% of national testing. Our results, within two weeks, will be available in less than 24 hours.
.
Thanks. Good inside info on testing.
âCDC estimates every positive patient infects 10 othersâ. I donât think this is true. That means the R factor is 10⊠I believe itâs just over 1.
I wonder about the long term effects of the virus for asymptomatic people. If you have no issues when you contract the virus - meaning no damage to the lungs - how can there be long term damage? Not saying itâs not true, but just trying to understand. I get folks that were really sick with Covid having long term effects, but trying to understand how 100% asymptomatics would.
This has got to be a typo or a misunderstanding.
Asymptomatic doesnât mean you have no issues. It means you have no issues that you notice. If youâre infected with covid, your body is doing something to fight off the infection. There could be things going on in your lungs that you donât notice.
I could be asymptomatic for high cholesterol, for example; I seem fine, but unbeknownst to me, plaque is building up in my arteries. Same for covid; I could seem fine, but unbeknownst to me, I could be having small blood clots in my brain, or my lungs., or I could be experienced some other type of organ damage.
We donât know a lot about what is happening with asymptomatic people. We know that somewhere inside them, viruses are being made, or they wouldnât be testing positive.
PCR testing tells you if you have HAD a C19 infection ârecentlyâ.
It detects virus remnants (âvirus litterâ) & a PCR positive test does not immediately equate to being infectious (active infection one can pass on to others).
Source: TWIV podcast, multiple episodes
@CT1417 - to the best of my knowledge, Yale-New Haven Health is doing its own COVID tests only for people working for or admitted to the hospital. To get a COVID test through them, you call their hotline number, but thevtest would most likely be done by an outside lab. In my group, we are not currently ordering tests for asymptomatic people, but CVS Minute Clinc offers a rapid test that does not require a doctorâs order. I also know that the city of New Haven is offering tests to anyone who wants one. I assume you have to be a resident of New Haven to get one there. The CVS tests are less accurate than the lab based tests, but are better than nothing. I donât know what they are doing in UConn territory.
Thanks. But itâs been now 3 months⊠hopefully there will be more information soon on chest x-rays, CAT scans, etc of symptomatic Covid positives to determine the extent of the damage. Itâs hard for me to wrap my head around lung damage not showing symptoms if there was damage. Unlike cholesterol, that is usually something that you notice. Also, if 10x the people out there are infected without having showing up in the stats, Iâd think there would be more issues. It would be good to know.