Dad died of bilateral pneumonia last wk - were hospitals routinely swabbing by Saturday 14th March?

[KavvLar]

My dad died in hospital last week, of bilateral pneumonia, and I want to find out if hospitals were routinely testing admissions for Covid 19 on or before Sat 14 March.

He was admitted via transfer from a mental health ward at another hospital, an ambulance brought him up to A and E with breathing difficulty. He was then admitted from there, went down hill, and sadly passed away five days later.

He was 91 and had COPD but I have only just thought to ask the question of the hospital if they had tested for Corona virus. The bereavement suite referred me to the ward he died in. The ward confirmed they had not swabbed him but couldn't speak for what might have happened during his admission to a and e.

I rang the infection team and they didn't have an answer but said they'd get back to me. I haven't heard back.

I'm extremely aware that hospital staff are up to their eyes in it at the moment, and the last thing I want to do is add to the trouble. I just want to know if he was tested (and can safely establish negative) or he wasn't (and we then can't rule it out).

It cannot be established after death I understand, but it would make a significant difference to us who were with him when he passed away - two key workers, both with young children, and an elderly person.

Any insight greatly appreciated as I'm anxious.

Sorry about your dad unfortunately it's impossible to say as each trust has a different policy. National guidance was released earlier that week saying all patients with pneumonia should be swabbed but in our trust there's a lot of evidence it didn't happen immediately and took a few days for it all to get going. So no one on here can confirm either way for you other than it's possible he was swabbed. At this time, infection control will be absolutely swamped so won't likely get back to you very soon although I totally understand your frustrations. Please take care

The case definition change that triggered testing of hospital admissions with respiratory symptoms happened on 13 March. Some hospitals were able to start immediately, some weren’t in a position to do that and implemented over the weekend or very early the following week.

So sorry for your loss. I’m not in a position to offer any advice but just wanted to add my sincere condolences for the loss of your Dad, whatever the cause.

Might any result have been relayed to his GP, would it be worth asking them? And I guess they'd have informed the mental health ward if he'd tested positive?

Thank you. I know it’s crazy times but I am seriously concerned that they can’t answer this easily. I thought it would be a formality to ask and they’d just say that of course they’d tested and it was unrelated.

I don’t want to run away with myself, but I thought they would want to at least check. They’re looking into it now.

It’s a potential CV related death at a hospital that has so far recorded none. I am concerned for my family and for those limited few we all mixed with in the run up to lockdown. He died on the ward with seven other elderly men. The funeral director has to take different precautions. All that stuff.

It cannot be established after death I understand

In this case a man tested positive for coronavirus after his death on or around the 14th March:

Spokesperson for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said;

"While this individual was with us he was seriously unwell with an illness unrelated to coronavirus, and had no obvious signs of the virus."

"After the individual had died testing confirmed that he had the virus, the ward was immediately closed to all new admissions and visitors, and we continue to adhere to Public Health England guidance."

www.itv.com/news/2020-03-15/coronavirus-victim-family-feel-abandoned-by-government-revealed-they-will-not-be-tested-wycombe-hospital/