Blood tests yesterday tested positive covid when I got home

[Notdiagnosed]

Well I had my final blood tests yesterday and when I got home I did a covid test and tested positive

I have my appointment with the consultant next week. 29th. I have rang the hospital today to say I actually tested positive when I had them done or within the hour after. I did a test when I got home with my temperature spiking 38

Does having covid throw out your tests. Would it lower my true platelets and whites?

The receptionist said she would put a note for the consultant so I asked who my consultant was.

Apparently I'm having a call back from a pharmacist within the myeloid team who helps out every now and again for my consultation next week. I'm sure she said the pharmacist is doing my consultation.

I think that says it all. I expect everything is OK. No way would my care be transferred to a pharmacist if I had positive results for my mutations would it. Why would a pharmacist be ringing me.??????

And if I am covid positive and had got et I would have to have had some antivirals wouldn't I.. So again that seems to say I'm OK. And no et because I've informed them of my covid.

[hunter5582]

Sorry to hear you contracted COVID. I had it back in January. I had a pretty mild course of the disease but it did last for 12 days of active symptoms.

If anything, I think that a COVID infection would raise your WBCs (likely Lymphocytes) and possibly your platelets as well.

Your care would not be switched to a pharmacist if you have a MPN. Pharmacists dispense and consult about medications. If there are any questions about meds, the pharmacist may be who you would talk to.

Do bear in mind that you may have a MPN even in the absence of a known driver mutation. The triple-negative MPNs are well known to MPN Specialists. Another good reason to consult directly with MPN Specialists.

Having a MPN does not necessarily mean the anti-viral meds will be required. It depends on which system you are in, at least here in the States, I did qualify for mono-clonal antibodies in my healthcare system but based on age> 65, not my MPN status. With the oral anti-viral meds now available, I expect access is easier.

[Notdiagnosed in reply to hunter5582]

So by being consulted by a pharmacist most likely means no mpn. I know about triple negative but according to my hospital consultant as it stands it seems to me that they believe I havent. I am not on any treatment to monitor so maybe they want a pharmacist to tell me everything is OK as the consultants are busy. I have googled pharmacist haematology and it seems some are not regular pharmacists. They do work alongside haematology. And are called consultant haematology pharmacist.

And I think she said my platelets were 378 and my whites 7.2. I have never ever had a white count normal like that in 20 years. It's always been red abnormal. I didn't ask about specifics of it just the count. I honestly though people with cobid were getting thrombocytopenia. Low platelets. And lower whites.

My ldh was 208 so I think normal.

I just wish I could have talked to a consultant next week. If all they want to do is tell me everything is fine then they could have written to my gp in the meantime and sent all test results to her.

I still haven't had my spleen scan either. If I ever do. Apparently they are running behind.

I still want evidence though of these tests. Just for peace of mind. Thanks

Ans being googling and it seems viral infections as covid cause low platelets and also some people can carry pn wirh platelets being low after the virus has gone.

[Trocken]

When my platelet count has been stable I’ve been seen by a pharmacist who is apart of the MPN clinic, don’t underestimate their skill base,! they consult with the Dr’s anyway but they are invaluable to us as dispensers to our medication, she was always helpful at overseeing all my medication for other conditions too and could answer most questions, any she couldn’t she would ring me the following day with an answer.

Re covid I found my blood work went a little to pot and raised a number of counts, I had my bloods taken a couple of weeks after I finally got a negative test.

I hope your ok with it, rest and drink lots xx

[Ebot]

Sorry you have Covid. Hope you’re feeling better very soon. The access to anti-virals is - as I understand - tightly restricted. To be eligible you need not only to have been diagnosed with an MPN but also be on drug treatment -so other than aspirin / venesections. It is the treatment that impacts on immunity rather than the disease itself. And even if you are eligible, the triage process does not mean you will automatically be given anti-virals.

[Notdiagnosed]

Thanks for replying.

I am just going to go along with my idea that as I haven't had my results for my mutations yet they must all be OK because they wouldn't give me a pharmacist to relay them if they were positive?? Surely an haematologist would have to give them to me. Then pass me over to a pharmacist if needs be.

I understand that they are needed for anyone that has an mpn to monitor treatments etc but up to yet I haven't been told I have.

And this covid has knocked me off my feet if I'm honest. I hope it goes away very soon. And if covid puts bloods up then my whites have never ever been better and my platelets are also good. I honestly thought it lowered everything with being a virus and not a bacterial infection.

My home finger oxygen things keeps reading low oxygen and my heart rate high. But normal with covid. And I'm very achy with zero energy. And usual symptoms. But it will go soon hopefully.

[Wesleygrange2a]

Hi I have not had a face to face appointment with my haematology dept since Marc h 2020 and my next appointment is a phone appointment .my letter says I will be called by a member of the team but it has always been a pharmacist. Prior to lockdown my appointments have been with a pharmacist for years, I can’t remember last time I saw the haematologist. I have had PV for 16 years and take hydroxycarbamine 2 capsules daily.

For the first 6 years of having PV I lived in London and always saw a haematologist. I suppose I should be glad I am stable. I’m 66 and worked full time until I retired last year.

[Notdiagnosed in reply to Wesleygrange2a]

Yes mine is a telephone consultation too. And yes I understand if you are diagnosed speaking to a pharmacist but mine is my results etc. I'm not diagnosed and most likely not going to be able to ask questions. Something is going on with me but I don't know what. And surely they cannot go off my last bloods because I have covid. I got home from bloods and did a test because I was hot and felt funny and I'm positive for covid. All my others have been high . I think looking at my graph my whites have never been normal ever. My platelets have but high normal and then high again. I am apparently jak2 negative according to the nurse who I spoke to but dont know about the other mutations. Its et they were looking at.

[Wesleygrange2a]

I understand, when I had a chest infection a couple of years ago it sent my platelets up and they wanted to increase my meds. By my next appointment they had gone down. Good luck and hope you get it sorted and that your Covid infection clears up quickly.

[Notdiagnosed in reply to Wesleygrange2a]

Thank you wesleygrange2aThis is how it all started for me. I was discharged twice from haematology 2004 and 2009.

Then when we first lockeddown I got ill. Very ill. Most likely had a blood clot and then shingles etc.

I never really recovered but I couldn't get a test for covid then.

Things went on and eventually in the October last year I did ring a doctors. And I was seen face to face.

I thought I had a sinus infection maybe.

My blood pressure was through the roof even on medication and my heart rate and she sent me for bloods. And then all this.

And after putting 2 and 2 together after just getting on with life regarding the et or not et I said to my gp my symptoms could have been et. I feel and have felt wiped out. Just not myself at all since getting ill. But they have tested all inflammatory things and anaemia and I'm fine. Even infection she had said but my whites were 13.5 and my platelets were 501. They never came down until this one I had done Tuesday when u tested positive.

I could have a problem from covid from when locked down or its some other thing going on. Who knows but I was sent to haematology and they agreed the mutations. I just want a good course of antibiotics or anti viral most likely. I have to take precautiony antivirals because im prone to shingles and complications from it.

Maybe I have got a chest problem. I don't know because whatever I had at lockdown never went. I just cannot function properly. But she did say that my infection rate was good on the blood film. She said 4 or something for infection. Don't know what she was referring to. I thought infection because my whites were so high.

[DJK12 in reply to Notdiagnosed]

She most likely meant they tested you for C-reactive protein known as CRP. It measures inflammation levels indicating infection. If you look on the NHS site for blood tests it will explain this test and link you to another site that explains levels

[Notdiagnosed in reply to DJK12]

Hi and thanks for that. Yes I had crp done and also esr. And both were OK.