Testing

[Wildething]

Has anyone been tested for the coronavirus. I got 2 letters asking me to do a test at home then send it off. But as soon as I said I was on blood thinners they said I couldn't be tested as it could cause bleeding. As far as I know it was just a swab.

[Hidden]

My 16 year old son was chosen for c19 tests both swap and saliva. No questions asked about his health. My friend In her 50s Also asked exactly the same as my son

[Wildething in reply to Hidden]

I even emailed them but they said the same cant be done if your on warfrin

[bubblyalex]

How weird... I thought it was just a swab too.

[Wildething in reply to bubblyalex]

Even the nurse who did my blood test said she couldn't understand why

[bubblyalex in reply to Wildething]

Maybe they are brutal at swabbing... very strange.

[Hidden in reply to bubblyalex]

They are they shove that swab right up your nose. My friend said they hot his pituitary gland 😂

[bubblyalex in reply to Hidden]

OMG 😆... not lol!

[Wildething in reply to bubblyalex]

Your supposed to do it yourself

[Hidden in reply to Wildething]

Some do some don't depends on the testing site.

[allanah]

I was asked by nhs covid 19 to test , didn't ask about my drugs and just send me throat/ nasal swabs .

[AgedCrone]

Who sent you the letter asking you to have the test?

[Wildething in reply to AgedCrone]

It was some university they wanted to know how many people had it or did have it in different areas

[Downtime]

Depends whether it’s a swab test to detect infection or a pinprick blood test to see if you have antibodies. I’ve had a couple of swab tests. They’re not nice but over very quickly. It seems a bit over the top to refuse a pinprick test. I don’t much about blood thinners but is a small puncture likely to cause a major bleed?

[Hidden in reply to Downtime]

That makes sense!

[medway-lady in reply to Downtime]

No I take Riveroxaban and cut myself several times just a bit longer to scab or how else would they do blood tests for RA ?

[Wildething in reply to Downtime]

It's a pinprick to test how thin my blood is which then determines how many warfrin I take

[ruth_p]

I’ve had the swan test done and I can’t imagine how it would cause bleeding. My step dad also had it and he’s on blood thinners. It’s not the most pleasant experience but it is over quickly.

[Hidden]

I could be wrong, but if this is the weekly ONS random testing to estimate national virus figures via a household testing sample, I think they stipulate there are certain exemptions. The blood test for them is an actual blood test (they take about 5mls) and they may feel as if a home draw with a warfarin patient is a risk purely to estimate virus numbers. The risk of bleeding is tiny, but there is still a risk. It could also be that they feel that you’re too high risk for catching the virus/complications if you did catch it, as the ONS testing requires a nurse to come in to your home. If it isn’t for ONS, then I don’t know what the rationale would be.

[Hidden]

I got a letter asking me to be part of a wider survey. Test came yesterday and a courier will collect. The letter says you are picked at random from a list of registered patients.

[medway-lady in reply to Hidden]

My friend did that last week.

[Wildething in reply to Hidden]

That's the one they wanted me to do you do the swabs yourself then a courier collects them

[Hidden in reply to Wildething]

It just forms wider stats on how much of the % population is infected at any one time.

[precious123]

Wow I just find that very strange that they are asking folks to do this.

[cathie]

It’s a swab right to back of throat and another way up your nose. It could cause bleeding.

[Karen12]

I’ve had both the swab and the blood test. The swab is to check if you’re currently positive and the blood test to check if you’ve been infected in the past and have antibodies. I work for the NHS and they ask us all to have antibody tests. Incidentally when I had the swab test she did make my nose bleed.

[bubblyalex in reply to Karen12]

Wow. How on earth do they manage to do that 🤨

[Karen12 in reply to bubblyalex]

I have a slightly deviated septum so that could be why. I should clarify it’s not like my nose poured with blood, but there was blood on the swab.

[bubblyalex in reply to Karen12]

Well at least there is that I guess.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Karen12]

I’ve wondered about that. I have had several sinus attacks since March this year and I’d hate someone to stuff a swab up my nostril. Might be ok other side that is least affected but definitely not on the left side of my face.

I was thinking that the reason people are saying the home tests aren’t reliable could e because people don’t shove the swabs up far enough or Eve hard enough.

[K3-2]

Please may I know if it's the test to see you have the virus or to check if you've had it ...

[Wildething in reply to K3-2]

They just wanted to do a wider test and it was just a throat test and nose swab

[bienassis]

I asked for a home-kit for self-testing but since I don't have symptoms they wouldn't send one. Yes, I believe it's a swab taken from the nostrils, and one from the back of the throat.

The reason for my request was that in order to have my infusion at the hospital, I was told to attend the outpatients 2 days earlier for the test. But since I'm always transported by ambulance, the ambulance service wouldn't transport me just for a C19 test.

Finally, it was decided to change me from transfusions to subcut injections at home. In some ways, this is better for everyone ; I don't need to risk going to the hospital, and the infusion suite can get on with its main task of giving chemotherapy to vulnerable cancer patients.