Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

Original poster

70yr old mum tested negative, in hospital, now positive.

23 replies

YoungScrappyHungry · 01/12/2020 08:46

DM, 70, diabetic, had chest pains on Friday night, went to A&E on the advice of 111.

Was waiting in the waiting room for 24 hours, before being admitted to have an angiogram yesterday.

Tested whilst in A&E so she could be admitted, came back negative.

As she'd been in hospital for three days they tested her again, came back positive.

The hospital she's in is completely overwhelmed, worse than it ever was in lockdown 1. They've had to put beds in staff rooms, she's on a specific ward for patients who came in for something else and contracted it whilst there.

She's asymptomatic at the moment but I'm worried that's just because it's early days.

She is our world. Would really like a handhold.

OP posts:

TheEndisCummings · 01/12/2020 09:03

so sorry to hear this - it must be very scary. I have no experience - but I did want to just reach out a hand in sympathy. I am sure others with good stories will come soon.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 01/12/2020 09:06

Sending a handhold.

My mum works in a tier 3 hospital with patients like your mum who contracted Covid in the hospital. She says that the huge majority of them are asymptomatic and wouldn't even know they had Covid if they hadn't been tested, even the older patients. Most of them are absolutely fine. If that's any consolation.

If she does get worse she's in the best place to have it managed.

hamstersarse · 01/12/2020 09:07

Hospital acquired infections are forming a huge part (possibly the most) of the numbers but no one is talking about it

Instead we are going on about whether you can eat a scotch egg in a perfectly safe pub

I’m sorry for your mum and hope she recovers well

nanbread · 01/12/2020 09:14

I understand this must be scary... what's happening with her chest pains?

Try to remind yourself that she has a 99.5% survival rate of Covid even with her age and diabetes taken into account. And remind yourself that she's not in hospital for Covid either and if they hadn't tested again or shed been let out earlier, she'd be out and possibly spreading it round asymptomatically. If she does deteriorate, she's in the right place.

carlaCox · 01/12/2020 09:19

I'm so sorry to hear this. If it's any consolation, from what I understand the tests are very sensitive and will pick up even the smallest trace of the virus in people's systems. Often this means they don't even technically have covid (the disease caused by the virus). Crossing my fingers for you that this is the case for your mum.

Original poster

YoungScrappyHungry · 01/12/2020 10:08

Thank you all.

She had her angiogram yesterday which seemed okay, slight narrowing of one of her arteries so she will be having more tests.

She's being discharged as she's asymptomatic. She was moved from the cardiology ward to this specialist 'caught covid in hospital' one and has been told to isolate for 14 days.

OP posts:

Legoandloldolls · 01/12/2020 10:09

Hand hold from me too. Must be incredibly hard when you cant visit.

PrivateD00r · 01/12/2020 10:16

When you say she was in the waiting room for 24 hours.... that is not a typo? I would be complaining about that for a start

Your poor mum. Unfortunately no matter how stringent staff are, hospital acquired infections do occur. Being left in a waiting room for such a long time is perhaps the culprit, she was bound to have to take her mask off at times, even just to drink.

I would get on to PALS to discuss that aspect to be honest, it is truly unacceptable. Not so much the positive test aspect as the initial test could easily have been a false negative.

I hope that she feels better very soon

carlaCox · 01/12/2020 10:19

She's being discharged as she's asymptomatic

This is great news. Fingers crossed everything is fine. Best case scenario she may even have gained some level of immunity which could give her some protection while we wait for a vaccine. And at least she doesn't have to isolate over Christmas.

Stradivari · 01/12/2020 10:20

We were finding a lot of asymptomatic cases on a day 5 test for in-patients. Not much we could do about it really!! All the pathways were being followed etc it just seems to be a thing. Of course telling someone they are positive is always very stressful for them, because they are in hospital and feel that this will have a detrimental effect on their health when indeed without the test, we and they wouldn’t have known any better because their bodies weren’t showing signs or symptoms at all. Bit of a catch 22 really

Original poster

YoungScrappyHungry · 01/12/2020 10:33

I hear what you're saying @Stradivari but it's likely if she wasn't in a&e for so long with very little control of patients (she had to tell one sitting next to her to move up and keep his mask on as he kept coughing etc) then she wouldn't have got it in the first place.

@PrivateD00r sadly not a typo. The hospitals just can't cope, at least where we are.

OP posts:

Porcupineinwaiting · 01/12/2020 11:03

@hamstersarse do you not think maybe hospital acquired infections are on the rise because the hospitals are full of coronavirus cases? Many of which were acquired in the community?

OP I wont tell you not to worry because it is worrying but this is a very strange virus and many people you would predict to be hard hit have very mild cases and vice versa. And because she is in hospital, your mum's condition will be closely monitored.

Whirlwind14 · 01/12/2020 11:08

I’m so glad she’s been discharged. Can’t imagine the worry you’ve been through. I hope she continues to stay well x

XiCi · 01/12/2020 11:11

When you say she was in the waiting room for 24 hours.... that is not a typo? I would be complaining about that for a start
Pretty standard even in non covid times. I think people who havent had to use the NHS in a while dont realise what a mess it's in.
Hope your mum is ok OP. Good news that she is asymptomatic though so frustrating she has caught it in hospital!

Pommes · 01/12/2020 11:14

Wishing your Mum well, OP. I know a care home resident in his mid 90s who was completely asymptomatic with Covid - I hope this continues to be the case for you.

Stradivari · 01/12/2020 11:16

@YoungScrappyHungry oh of course, I wasn’t aiming to dismiss your mums experience of A&E, more that we have been inundated with asymptomatic cases from being tested several days after admission, with admission tests being negative and so streamed into cold areas. It’s all a bit bizarre!

Original poster

YoungScrappyHungry · 01/12/2020 14:30

That IS bizarre @Stradivari. It does make me wonder how accurate the admission tests are? Surely if that many patients are getting it the staff would be knocked on their knees too??

Thank you all for your kind words. She's still in at the moment, waiting to get the all clear from a doctor to go home.

OP posts:

Stradivari · 01/12/2020 14:35

Well tbf that is why they introduced staff testing, because the asymptomatic spread was rife! But yes, anecdata of course, it appears that the admission test needs to be taken with a grain of salt or that despite measures in place, nosocomial infection is just very difficult to control

PrivateD00r · 01/12/2020 14:39

@XiCi

When you say she was in the waiting room for 24 hours.... that is not a typo? I would be complaining about that for a start Pretty standard even in non covid times. I think people who havent had to use the NHS in a while dont realise what a mess it's in. Hope your mum is ok OP. Good news that she is asymptomatic though so frustrating she has caught it in hospital!

I work in the NHS, I am not some naive person who doesn't know anything about it

I can assure you this is not normal in my hospital, I have never heard of it happening. Long stints in A&E yes, but not in the flipping waiting room!

PrivateD00r · 01/12/2020 14:41

@YoungScrappyHungry

I hear what you're saying *@Stradivari* but it's likely if she wasn't in a&e for so long with very little control of patients (she had to tell one sitting next to her to move up and keep his mask on as he kept coughing etc) then she wouldn't have got it in the first place.

@PrivateD00r sadly not a typo. The hospitals just can't cope, at least where we are.

Please don't accept 24 hours in a waiting room for an older woman with chest pains as normal. I urge you to complain about this, it is totally unacceptable.

Original poster

YoungScrappyHungry · 01/12/2020 19:45

Thank you @PrivateD00r I will speak to her about it, bless her she adores the NHS and I would doubt would ever complain but I do take your point.

She wasn't even in a bed, just sat in a chair for literally 24 hours.

She's home now, we've stocked up on food for her and I'm going to go to the window in a bit.

OP posts:

Rupertpenrysmistress · 01/12/2020 19:52

I am sorry about your mum, you can however get false negative's. I work as an NHS nurse and it is a nightmare at the moment, so many patients not enough beds. Also not yet fully started staff testing in my trust.

Original poster

YoungScrappyHungry · 02/12/2020 06:36

Thank you @Rupertpenrysmistress we did wonder this. Haven't told her because I know she'll be worrying then about if she'd given it to anyone else shopping, out walking etc before she had the test, and not sure what good it would do. But yes it has crossed our mind that maybe the admissions test was a false negative. Guess we'll never know.

She's been very tired and sounds a bit croaky but apart from that seems okay. My sisters a nurse and was saying she may well not stay asymptomatic, just need to keep an eye on it..

OP posts:

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread