Covid or no covid!

[HoppyNurse]

Hey! I just need to get this off my chest and can’t currently sleep as it’s going round and round in my mind.

Last week Thursday I was seen for an urgent review at the severe asthma clinic following an acute admission and early discharge on the Tuesday. During the appointment I numerous tests bloods and swabs including a covid swab, I know the results take 72 hours to come back. I did not receive any phone call from clinic to I form me of results so although I am shielding my husband and son have been going out to the shops/walking as usual.

Today in clinic I was told all swabs negative and bloods normal. This evening I got a text message telling me there was a letter for me on the online system the hospital use - I assumed this was an appointment for follow up. However when I opens the file the letter states that my covid swab was positive! To say I was in shock when I read it is an understatement, surely if I was positive someone should have called me to inform me as soon as the result came back as it effects the rest of the people in the household.

How can I be told one minute that everything negative, and then next minute positive.

I had a negative swab the week before, when I was admitted to hospital so I know that I could still be in the incubation stage.

I’m really concerned that if I am covid positive - I’ve not really had symptoms except a dry cough - which isn’t unusual for my asthma, all the other people that may have been put at risk. Obviously my husband and son are following all the guidelines, 2 meters etc. But have been going out every day for their exercice and my husband has been going to the shops.

I will call the team tomorrow to get clarification, but felt I needed to get it off my chest by writing it down, as you can imagine my mind is doing overtime!

[Hidden]

Good morning, I can imagine how worried and confused you must be right now & hopefully you will get some answers when you call later.

After my own experience on a COVID Ward last week nothing surprises me any more and there appears to be a lot of mixed messages and more than a considerable degree of confusion around this whole thing - particularly if you have underlying health conditions as well as presenting with severe respiratory difficulties.

My belief is that a lot of people are picking this virus up whilst in hospital which explains my haste to get out of there as soon as possible after being told they could not guarantee I would not be exposed to it on an open ward. Shocking stuff really.

I hope you’re able to get the answers you desperately need and that your mind is put at ease but agree it’s a disgrace that nobody took the minute or so to call you rather than have to find out the way you did that you had a positive test result. 🤦‍♀️

Good luck and please let me know how you get on.

[HoppyNurse in reply to Hidden]

I had a negative test the week before when I was admitted (30th March) and the I was retested in severe chest clinic on the 10th April. I was back at clinic yesterday and was told by the asthma nurse that all tests were negative. The letter I received is from that trust saying that I was positive. I suppose my concern is that my husband has been carrying on as normal - doing the shopping for a few elderly people in our block and I’m concerned that I have attended a sever respiratory clinic whilst being positive.

[Hidden in reply to HoppyNurse]

Hi there, I am hoping you have managed to get some answers and can see how confusing and worrying this must be for you and your family.

Thinking of you & hoping things are clearer now.. ?

[Tugun]

Hi,

I totally feel for you. I'm assuming you have already discussed this with your husband. The worry! From what I gather, the clinic results were negative while the hospital one was positive even though the clinic test was after the hospital one. When I worry I either plan or do something enjoyable to take my mind off it.

I've prayed for you for peace and a good report but also just remember that even if you are positive, by far the majority of people don't get it too badly. Remember the 106 year old who recovered. Think of all those many, many people who have defeated this. Look after yourself and do what you know helps you in your health.

Take those vitamins and minerals that help and boost yourself up.

[Poobah]

If you had two tests a week apart I can see how things got muddled. End to end testing and follow up is dependent on the process set up and those involved understanding their roles within that process. With pressure to get more tests done I expect there to be flaws in communication.

Even when we don't have a pandemic I've been aware of wrong test results being recorded and shared with patients.

We have two Covid-19 cases in the family and symptoms didn't include a temperature. One persistent cough plus breathlessness. The second just breathlessness and low oxygen levels much worse than breathing suggested. I think it's wise if people assume they have the virus if they have any one symptom rather than expecting two or more symptoms.

The 111 service suggests breathlessness where the patient cannot speak a few words, however, my relative could talk but had oxygen levels of 82.

Thank you for sharing your experience as I think, as asthmatics, we need to err on the side of caution within our homes if anyone has even one symptom.

[HoppyNurse in reply to Poobah]

Thank you, the tests were carried out at different hospital trusts so it’s hard to see how things got muddled up. I have heard from the asthma team today and they are just as perplexed as to why I got a letter to say positive when the results on the lab screens are negative. They are waiting to hear from the lab and get back to me.

[Poobah in reply to HoppyNurse]

So lab records results digitally and I assume that letter sent by separate admin team. Whatever the result the patient will receive a letter, so easy for admin churning out letters to send wrong version.

The process definitely not robust. Extremely frustrating. Feedback necessary to tighten up procedures. PALs team will probably take feedback.

[maggi999]

As with any swab test, it depends on the skills of the person taking the swab and your actual health at the time the swab is taken (it will only give you a snapshot of your health at the time it is taken - you could become infected later that day!). There is always the possibility of a 'false negative' result at the analysis stage due to poor handling/storage of the swab....unfortunately it's not an exact science but it's the best we have and usually accurate.

[HoppyNurse]

Thank you all for your replies. So o am covid negative, it has been confirmed by the laboratory. There was an IT error which resulted in a letter being generated stating a positive result. They have retracted that letter and sent out an additional one to myself and GP to confirm negative status.