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Covid

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Original poster

Chasing test results

20 replies

TechGinny · 07/12/2020 13:59

Sorry if there have been lots of threads on this subject!

My son had a swab test at a drive in testing site last Wednesday (5 days) and we haven't had his result yet.

I called the helpline today to chase it up, and the person I spoke to could not have been more robotic or less human. He took my details and said they'd look into it, but no clue of how long that might be.

If you've had to chase results, did you actually receive your results, and how long did it take after you'd chased it up? I'm starting to think we're just going to have to do the full two weeks isolation

OP posts:

midnightstar66 · 07/12/2020 14:05

I wonder if you spoke to the same person as me - I tested on Tuesday. Called the other day and was told they couldn't chase it til Monday. So yours is probably tomorrow. Called this morning and my goodness I think I woke the guy up. He yawned through the call, sounded completely bored informed me he'd send it to the relevant department but it could take 3 days to get back to me. Then when I asked if there was any way to hurry it as I was really needed at work he went on to tell me that I'd have to finish my isolation period even with a negative test. Obviously this is not the case and I told him that but he was adamant. He kept saying 'check the government website' 'take it up with the government' well no because my issue isn't with the government they are telling me the correct advice, you are not!! Sorry for the rant, im still furious. Anyway I'd advise calling back tomorrow as I think that will be the correct time frame to escalate it and it doesn't sound like that's what he did today.

HairyPotter · 07/12/2020 14:08

If you don’t get a result within 3 days of the investigation email being sent then it’s unlikely you’ll get one and you’d need to continue isolation. It’s only 10 days from the start of symptoms though not 14. It’s 14 days if you’ve been in contact with a positive case.
They pick up the the late results twice a day so you could still get the results. Good luck.

Iooselipssinkships · 07/12/2020 14:15

We never got my daughter's results! It was done via post and they received it as we used the tracking service, so they can get lost it seems. I couldn't bring myself to put her through it again as she was in such a state the first time, so we did the two weeks at home. School weren't happy but not over the missing results, over her being absent. They've been really pushing for pupils to be in even if it's against current legislation, but what can you do? It just put us under more stress and now I'm bricking it in case she falls ill again with one of the main symptoms. Sadly she's seemingly inherited my shite immune system and picks up cold/bugs quite easily.

midnightstar66 · 07/12/2020 14:23

My friend got her twins tested and one girls came back but the other never did. I think she just sent her back to school in the end on the balance of probabilities that twin 1 was negative and had more symptoms than twin 2 and was the main reason for the test.

LividLoves · 07/12/2020 15:11

My mum’s was lost.

She phoned after five days and they just told her to complete the isolation period. No comment about her potential close contacts... (we isolated ourselves, thanks for telling us you were ill after we met, mum...)

Original poster

TechGinny · 07/12/2020 15:39

Oh my goodness, it's a nightmare isn't it! I can completely appreciate that with such a high volume of tests being processed, a few will be missed/lost, but the call centre really doesn't give you any faith in the system.

HairyPotter, my son could go back to school but, no knowing whether or not he actually was positive, I think the rest of us in the household need to err on the side of caution and act as if he was positive, which means doing the full 14 days. I guess the only saving grace is that at least we're not out catching it from anywhere else.

Roll on the better weather and (hopefully) positive outcomes of the vaccine. I can't take much more of this year.

OP posts:

Hersetta427 · 07/12/2020 15:46

I chased after 72 hrs and had the result 4 hrs later.

Original poster

TechGinny · 08/12/2020 21:15

Still no results... sigh. I think they're lost forever, aren't they?

OP posts:

midnightstar66 · 08/12/2020 21:28

Still don't have mine either - tomorrow is the last day of isolation and I have a very pissed off boss and some very stressed colleagues. Major cabin fever. I shall not take a covid test again!

Original poster

TechGinny · 09/12/2020 14:16

I'm getting shitty emails from work as well, despite following all the absence procedures and keeping them full updated. I don't know what more they want me to do.

Feel very much like everyone can just fuck off today.

OP posts:

midnightstar66 · 09/12/2020 16:12

I'm back to work tomorrow having completed full isolation period and still no results. Boss was sympathetic at first but clearly pissed off now. Don't blame her, I'm pissed off too.

Original poster

TechGinny · 10/12/2020 11:22

It's just rubbish all round, isn't it.

We finally got my son's result yesterday afternoon
... void. Brilliant. It said to get re-tested ASAP, so we did last night, but I don't know how reliable that will be 8 days after his first symptoms.

Now to wait and see whether these ones come back!

OP posts:

Duggeehugs82 · 10/12/2020 11:28

I got my daughter tested as she coughed few times in night and then was coughing in morning, i had been feeling rough last few days and began coughing , ive got my results early this morning negative , still waiting on hers, once i booked them we both havent coughed since! And she is fine im still bit rough!

DumplingsAndStew · 10/12/2020 12:01

We last had tests done in the summer. Had to call and chase one after 48 hours. Sounds like no progress has been made since then, as we had the same response - we'll escalate it but not really anything we can do.

DreadingSeason2020sFinale · 10/12/2020 12:46

It's less than 18 hours turnaround for us here in SW Scotland, by mail and by testing centre. Daughter me test was posted and arrived at the lab at 9pm and she had a positive result by 1pm the next day.
Hubby took a drive through test at 4pm and had a negative before 8am.

It's disgusting anyone is waiting more than a couple of days! Keep on at them.

Original poster

TechGinny · 10/12/2020 18:09

Well miraculously the kids' tests all came back negative in less than 24 hours - hooray! Still waiting for mine though, despite them all being done at the same time. Ah well, fingers crossed.

OP posts:

Original poster

TechGinny · 10/12/2020 18:10

@Duggeehugs82

I hope your daughter's result comes through quickly so you're not on house arrest for too long, and hope you feel better soon.

OP posts:

midnightstar66 · 10/12/2020 18:45

It's the same here. We tested on the Tuesday and I woke to dd's results which had come through at 6am on the Wednesday, it's been the same for most and my colleague for same day results from a drive through. Just mine that haven't appeared 🤷🏼‍♀️

Duggeehugs82 · 12/12/2020 21:11

We got my results 5am next day negative and my daughters Thursday 4pm so 2 days, not too bad

DreadingSeason2020sFinale · 14/12/2020 20:46

Got my household tested at 11am today.

Got results at 6:40pm tonight.

That's how it should damn well be everywhere!

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