Mum has an infection and is short of breath - doctor not giving Covid test?

[SummerCherry]

My Mum has caught a chest infection she thinks. She is very short of breath but no cough. She feels tired.

She’s still shielding but has been going out for short walks by herself in the last 2 weeks. She phoned the doctor today who asked if she wanted to come in, which she didn’t, and have sent over antibiotics today. The GP says no point in testing for COVID-19 as she ‘has no symptoms’. I’m not sure about this, or about her being asked if she wanted to come in either to the surgery? Obviously I’m worried it might be Covid, but she doesn’t want the test as she trusts her GP. She’s on her own.

Isn’t this poor practice? She is short of breath.

@Emeraldshamrock, it makes you gag when you do it by your tonsils and it's a bit uncomfortable up your nose (you push it in until you feel resistance and twirl it).

You then post it on the same day in a priority post box and you get the result texted to you. Mine was 18 hours later, at 6 o'clock in the morning.

OP, the symptoms that your Mum has are the symptoms of a chest infection. But she should be feeling better withhin three days. If she isn't, then she should have a face-to-face appointment.

@Emeraldshamrock

Is the test painful?

Not really.

I did my own and followed the instructions carefully. I found swabbing my nose uncomfortable (you put the swab in until you feel resistance and then rotate it five times to collect the sample) but it didn't hurt my throat at all (did make me gag a bit but that's all)

I'm not sure if I did I perfectly but like I said I followed the instructions carefully.

I have had Covid, I had NO symptoms.

Shortness of breath isn’t on my Carona question checklist, since when has it become a ‘major’ symptom?