To want to be tested today.

[Yester]

I have spent the last two days incredibly ill in bed. Headache, high temp and now getting a dry cough. 111 has said no testing as no direct contact with a known case.

I live in a big city and have been all over the city in close proximity to lots of people over the last week. Some of whom have been abroad (italy and Germany for 2 of them) but have no symptoms of anything.
I've self isolated as much as possible but with 3 kids in a small house it's not easy. And obviously handwashing etc. DH is taking a "it can't be coronavirus only 10 people in our whole city have it" line. He's going to work. Kids been at school.
I know resources are limited but there must be many people like me who could have CV and are potentially spreading it.
Should I keep the kids off? I can barely write this but don't want to spread it? The advice is very unclear.

Ps I have told people that I've been near that I'm ill.

Hope you feel better soon. Encourage your household to have rigorous hand washing. Try to use the bathroom last and clean surfaces if you can afterwards. Have your own bog roll so the whole household isn't scrabbling around pulling sheets off the same roll.
Give yourself over to being poorly and getting better. Not the usual "power through it". Contact 111 etc if still worried.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-initial-investigation-of-possible-cases/investigation-and-initial-clinical-management-of-possible-cases-of-wuhan-novel-coronavirus-wn-cov-infection#interim-definition-possible-cases

Looks like the testing guidelines changed today so you should be able to get one soon.

Hope you feel better

Thank you both so much. That's great news about the testing.

I don't read the testing criteria as saying that the OP is now eligible for testing - am I mis-reading them though?

I don't think the OP qualifies for the testing with under the new rules. Sounds like you have to either be hospitalised with symptoms or been in contact with a diagnosed case.

It's worrying me that I might be spreading it to everyone. If I knew for certain I would keep dc off school and DH would take it more seriously.

I understand they only have a limited number of facilities to test, and I'm sure they have their reasons but come on, it is spreading here now! We should be testing!!!

The problem is they just don’t have the facilities to test everyone who has symptoms just baceuase they live in a city with cases. If they did they would have to be testing tens of thousands of people a day. They still have to prioritise those who were likely to be in contact with someone who has it.

They are increasing testing to 10000 per day and diagnostic criteria will reflect this. Lots of testing stations popping up.
There has been an nasty viral infection around since just before Xmas which has almost identical symptoms to Covid-19. Horrendous chest infection but cough is dry, high temp and general flu like symptoms. It has hit our area fairly heavily up till half term, interestingly we have had no cases of Covid-19 in the county so far.