Think I may have coronavirus but 111 won't test

[Bolsover]

I have been ill the last few days with high temperature and dry cough - nothing too serious and getting better now. However I thought it was possible that this could be a v mild form of coronavirus?
I rang 111 and they won't test as I haven't travelled recently or been in contact with someone confirmed to have it. However I work in London and travel on tubes/bus everyday? It's entirely possible that I've picked it up randomly?

It probably isn't coronavirus but I'm really surprised about lack of testing? My dh and dc will go off to work/school tomorrow when maybe they should be self-isolating? It seems inevitable that it will spread rapidly if they don't test people with symptoms regardless of whether they've been travelling etc?.

@coconuttelegraph there is no link, it is just public local knowledge. Local primary school teacher sadly got it, then spent a few hours socialising with the next person. Not sure if they decided to just go skiing or public health england okayed them to in their second week. Everyone at work is wondering why they have gone, through an airport and then to socialise with others etc.

Another friend is showing al the signs, told to stay in and will be tested, 2 days after waiting told they won't be. This is people involved in teaching, police, local govemernent etc.

Why the fuck is there some kind of blanket ban on testing people that are usually fit and well and nearly sick enough for hospital, but because they've not been abroad they won't test?? And allowing them to continue working in school, museums, the police etc.

And people wonder why people with immunocompromised kids are withdrawing their kids from school.

@Bolsover how are you getting on?

Sorry they didn't test him @Nat6999 how they cannot see he should have been is crazy. They are still saying that only known contacts should be tested. Doctors in other countries are wondering WTAF the UK is doing refusing to test and having some weird directive from above that no one is breaking about testing.

As for telling all these likely positive people to go to A&E or their GP as they haven't been to Italy is just dangerous and negligent.

It will be too late but in the future they're be a big government enquire as to why we refused to test all these people and copy other countries, and whether it was to hide lack of resources, or just one person at the top making the wrong decision and then no one could back track or its ti hide something else.

NHS/PHE, just fucking test the people who have every covid19 symptoms and stop telling their partners to go to work!

I had these very symptoms over Christmas and new years, as did my whole family throughout January and many friends. I thought at the time how add it was not to have a runny nose with it all. High fever, bad headaches verging on migraine, sore throat and cough. It lasted a good two weeks and then gradually faded away. How do we know that wasn't corona virus? We don't, they just weren't testing back then.
Are we witnessing the spread of the virus or the spread of testing?

My GP surgery has stopped all online booking for appointments &anyone who has booked a none emergency appointment will have to be triaged 48 hours before by phone to make sure they haven't got symptoms.

NHS still here refusing to test those who have it if they’ve not been licking the faces of known contacts and saying they can’t possibly have it. But these are people that are borderline needing hospital treatment for their shortness of breath. And still having partners working in schools, the police and local government.

Another one back from Italy getting ill now 3 days without being tested.

Just like that poor Uber driver told to carry on working after carrying one of the first known cases in his taxi for 15mins

I have symptoms. I called 111 and got put through to Public Health. They said it sounds like I have it. Told me to ring 111 again and go to the self test option and a medical professional would speak to me. Phone goes dead every time I selected the self test option. All other options route me to Public Health... who tell me to call 111.

I’m unwell, had direct and prolonged contact with someone who has tested positive and I’m expected to wait 2-3 days to be tested.
I have a chronic lung condition. I mean this kindly but people like me who are known to be at high risk need priority.

The labs can not cope and 111 are inundated.

I don’t know what the solution is right now but priority has to be people who’ve been in direct contact and those who have come from high risk areas. They are working around the clock.

What I'm not sure about is what happens once you have a positive test? Obviously you stay at home and out of contact with everyone, but do you get any medical input?
Or is it just a case of fingers crossed?

What medical input you'd get would depend on your symptoms. For most people it would seem that it could be very mild so you'd manage your symptoms at home like with any other virus. However, if you're symptoms are more severe then you'd be getting treatment of required. Whether that would be hospital treatment or not again would depend on your symptoms at the time.

There are about 10 people in the isolation ward at our local hospital with CV. The are being treated for their symptoms as they would be normally.

@Flamingnora2020 I hope you don’t get any worse and get any help you can do.

I know now of other people at work, 15 went skiing and 10 are ill and they are not being tested. The government needs to say they don’t know the numbers as they are refusing to test people. Not because they want to fucking keep the numbers low in the world tally chart to show off. They are also letting known infected people have their partners carry on with the police and teaching and hospital work. Idiots.

Thank you penguin

I really hope everyone who needs it can be tested.

I know two people who have called 111 this week and been told to isolate but not been tested (I know one had travelled only within the UK recently not sure about the other). Another person is in quarantine and has been tested so they must have said something different to the others to trigger that. I’d imagine they are only testing those who have travelled abroad or had known contact with someone else who has it. But it’s very much here now. I think there are a lot of people walking around with this now and people aren’t being routinely tested when they call.

I don't know anyone with it or who feels ill. However going by this thread it won't be long.

Very worrying.

Chief Medical Officer said earlier he estimates that 5000-10000 people in the UK already have the virus. Daily figures quoted must be completely inaccurate. NHS so stretched testing is impossible.

The advice is to ONLY phone 111 if you feel you need hospital treatment. If you can manage at home then stay put and ride it out. They do not have the resources to test everyone with a temperature or a cough.

Agree @lifesabeach86 and they’re blocking up the phone lines for people who need medical advice urgently!

Just wondering why every other country is testing everyone and recording numbers, and the U.K. is the only country who can’t record numbers of cases? Like at the end of the year they want a prize as they didn’t record anyone’s illness?

Even people in hospitals with shortness of breath are not being tested. Family friend in her 70’s presenting with shortness of breath. Heart attack rules out but not being tested for covid still!

Perhaps testing fewer in the community will mean more seen in hospital can be tested?

I read somewhere that over 27,000 tests have been carried out, and about 500 cases confirmed. There's quite a lot of scope to re-target the guideline nes for who gets tested