why are people not being tested on frontline?

[itsthefuture]

i work on the nhs frontline

my neighbour is a frontline worker in a different emergency service

he is very very ill - apparently pneumonia - yet none of his family are isolating because the medical professionals don't think its Covid - 19

is this not totally ridiculous? his family are not isolating at all. he has not been tested. - (I have asked because I was concerned and im offering help if the family had to isolate)

why is this still happening?

Perhaps to keep the numbers down. If too many healthcare workers are seen to be sick and dying there might be an outcry.

My NHS trust is now testing any staff or their family members who have symptoms which require them to self isolate. I can't speak for your friend's situation.

He is fire service - not nhs . But surely pneumonia is a bloody massive corona red flag ? Young , fit , healthy and he can't walk due to pain and breathlessness. Sounds like covid 19 to me yet they haven't tested him. They even had to call 999 last week as he was so ill.

I mean, most people with pneumonia have a temperature or a cough or both, so it's very surprising he's not been told to isolate. Who has diagnosed him?

And yes, it's a disgrace that it's taken so long to scale up and roll out our testing provision.