How many of you have experience of testing being refused despite symptoms?

[mrjellyisnotscary]

Inspired by another thread where MrsSpenserGregson (can't tag for some reason) said that her GP wouldn't test despite having all the symptoms, as he hadn't recently returned from Wuhan etc, nor been in known contact with someone infected. More worrying was that he said if he had it he'd get over it. I'm sure he will, but how does that help with reducing infection rates?

I thought that it was now accepted that people were testing positive with no known travel / person link?

They are not testing widely.

It’s policy not to test unless you have been in a risky area or exposed to someone you know if infected.

There are more people in the country with meningitis right now than Corona but they don’t text every headache. It’s just not viable to test everyone.

I called 111, they won’t test my ds as no one has tested + in his school, even though 60 went to Italy for a trip and came straight back into school, they all flew on the 18th and apparently 19th was the cut of for self isolation

Yes my friend's two adult sons who live in different towns. Both went to same sport event together, both developed typical covid19 symptoms but failed 111 screening to be tested, as no contact with known case and no travel. They are self isolating (also due to feeling so ill). One of them is at university and their GP suspects they have it, so he was frustrated that they didn't test.

What does testing achieve though in reality? Other than just confirming they have it?

Unless they are experiencing symptoms they require medical treatment for, there's no need. Just self isolate and have done with it.

I've been ill for over a week, my symptoms are dry cough, tight chest, temperature and feeling tired/unwell. I've been told I don't meet the criteria to be tested because I haven't come into contact with a confirmed case. I have explained that I attended a big event not long ago, with people from all over the country, but apparently I still don't meet the criteria.

My DH has been refused testing despite sitting next to someone at work, going for lunch every day etc who was contacted by PHE yesterday and told to self isolate because someone at his GP diabetes clinic was confirmed tested with sarsncov2, the coronavirus. Diabetic bloke been sent home from work and told to wfh, but also not getting tested. Crazy.

So in this country seems they are still only testing people who have travelled from china/korea/italy and only contacting at risk people.

Testing is important imo for epidemiological data (tracking strains, mutations, viral evolution) and also for accurate infection/mortality rates.

Testing also should inform policy as community spread widens.

My DS wasn't tested either, but has the described symptoms, and is in a school where pupils were in Italy, and some are being isolated and tested (one clear so far). I'm also feeling unwell. We won't be going anywhere until our symptoms have cleared.

So in this country seems they are still only testing people who have travelled from china/korea/italy and only contacting at risk people

Yes- and that advice is quite clear on all the NHS websites (but doesn't stop people needlessly jamming up the phone lines/ health services).

Testing is important imo for epidemiological data (tracking strains, mutations, viral evolution) and also for accurate infection/mortality rates

Of course it is, but it is more important to restrict it to those most likely to have it, and save/ direct the resources towards those likely to need treatment for it.

People do actually realise the NHS was on it's knees before all this, no? Only, many of us did try telling people, but not many seemed to listen or care.

Most GPs don't have testing kits. I'm a GP. Only public health can test where I am.

quite aware thanks, I work with the NHS. No need for snotty responses, we all know they cant test everyone, doesn't mean it wouldn't be better if they were.

@todayisnottuesday so in that case, the numbers that are announced are not accurate, the locations of active cases are not accurate, and the escalation of cases isn't accurately documented?

I work for the NHS, I know full well that it's on it's knees. But if the government and PHE are publishing statistics, then I'd like to think there is some accuracy in them (as much as is possible). There will be loads of people out there who either don't realise they have it, or do and don't contact anyone about it. But surely when people do, we can do our best to document that?

DH, a GP in London, has red burning eyes, fever, severe cough, sweats... self-isolated today, called 111, spoke with clinician discussing his concerns about being a GP and being in contact with patients all day, every day of the working week. Community spread in Britain is here.
The 111 clinicians decision: No test.
It's likely DH has a flu, but he'll never know whether or not he has coronavirus. Hand on heart, he hasn't had the flu in years and this is the most ill I've seen him in at least a decade. But according to the 111 clinician, she's following protocol, adding "My hands are tied."
So basically, this is what he was told: If you have symptoms and have been to a cluster hotspot or if you have knowingly been around someone who has tested positive, you'll get tested.

I don’t get how they can say it’ll be time to move from containment to delay when they see more widespread community infections when they aren’t testing for those??

so in that case, the numbers that are announced are not accurate

I never said the numbers are not accurate - I said a statistic calculated from them would not likely provide an accurate, valid overall mortality rate for COVID-19 - there are too many variables not yet known.
@mrjellyisnotscary

There will be loads of people out there who either don't realise they have it, or do and don't contact anyone about it. But surely when people do, we can do our best to document that?

But how can we know or document that without testing when we don't have the resources to test everyone who thinks they may have it? Or do you mean document everyone who thinks they may have it?

I had all the symptoms 2 weeks ago but jot contact with anyone who had been to infected areas.....as far as I am aware.

I had been to 2 board meetings that have people coming in and out all day. No idea if any of them had been outside the country.

I wasnt offered testing. I was given anti biotic told I had a chest infection and sent in my way.

Unfortunately, 2 people at work have had it. Even though I went off when I started with the cough and worked from home, for most of it.

Looks like I am quarentining again. My kids got back from italy yesterday and it's all now on lockdown, the whole country.

So another 2 weeks.

@todayisnottuesday morbidity not mortality. They are still announcing numbers of cases. What I mean is there hasn't been an announcement, as far as I'm aware, to say that they don't know how many active cases there are because they don't have the resources to test all who are symptomatic and alert the NHS of that. That's not the same as not knowing how many cases there are because people aren't alerting them.
Does that make sense?

I just don't see the point of announcing that there are x number of cases, and it's increased by x amount, if they are telling people that there is no point being tested.

I'm not confused by the lack of resources to test everyone that presents with CV symptoms, just that there seems to be a lot going unrecorded.

morbidity not mortality

No, I meant mortality, but the first part of my post was meant for the discussion I was having one the other thread (inn relation to the death rate - sorry!

I just don't see the point of announcing that there are x number of cases, and it's increased by x amount, if they are telling people that there is no point being tested

Because they are targeting the most at risk of catching it group at the moment as community spread is not large enough to warrant testing for all, resources would not support that and it could put people at an increased risk of catching it - that is my understanding.

just that there seems to be a lot going unrecorded

But how can we know that when so many other viruses/ illnesses common at this time of year mimic it? Community spread rates detected so far don't seem to suggest lots of cases are going unrecorded.

I just don't see the point of announcing that there are x number of cases, and it's increased by x amount, if they are telling people that there is no point being tested

I've just reread that and interpreted it differently and think now I may get your point (sorry, it's late!)

In the sense that the figures do not yet show an accurate overall picture or reflection of reality here then yes, I agree (and that is the point I was trying to make on the other thread).

I don't see how they can work around it though really and can see why it is the way it currently is if that makes sense.

It’s impossible to test every cold and chest infection and in most cases they will be not coronavirus. The lab capacity is needed for the cases where exposure has a reasonable probability of actually happening . At Xmas I had a cough for 3 weeks which became a chest infection that I needed antibiotics and then steroids for. I have never had a chest infection previously. Doesn’t mean it was anything more than a chest infection. Last week DD had a cough and a high temperature which was not controlled by calpol. It was tonsillitis. There are literally loads of respiratory and ent bugs you could have. It’s a waste of resources to assume your illness is coronavirus unless you have had a risk of encountering someone with it. It’s laughable to think that the epidemiologists at PHE wouldn’t have already noticed if there had been a spike in illnesses which were likely to be CV.

*there hasn't been an announcement, as far as I'm aware, to say that they don't know how many active cases there are because they don't have the resources to test all who are symptomatic and alert the NHS of that8

Why and who would anyone need to alert the NHS of that btw, they would already know this?

The only consolation with the lack of testing is that the numbers of infected ppl is likely much higher than reported, therefore the fatality % is probably much lower than we’re being told