 |
|
This is a pretty interesting article about one women's
Posted on: March 26, 2020 at 09:54:28 CT
BigSlickTiger MU
Posts:
1365
Member For:
7.69 yrs
Level:
User
M.O.B. Votes:
0
Covid-19 testing journey. Hopefully, it's better today than it was 2.5 weeks ago when she started trying to get tested. The TLDR is she started on March 9th, finally got tested on March 17th and is still waiting for results.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52019509
Two-week timeline
9 March - visits family doctor
Claudia Bahorik sees her family doctor who agrees that she should have a coronavirus test. The local health system's protocol requires that he first carry out an influenza test, a test for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), a chest X-ray and some laboratory work to rule out other possibilities.
She goes home to await those results.
10 March - denied a coronavirus test
The doctor informs Claudia that while tests ruled out the other causes, Pennsylvania Department of Health did not give approval for her to get a coronavirus test.
She does not meet the criteria of having known exposure to someone who had tested positive for coronavirus, or travelled to a country deemed to be high risk.
Calls health officials and politicians
Frustrated and even more ill, Dr Bahorik calls the Department of Health. Despite exhibiting symptoms, and given her age and previous spells of pneumonia, they were inflexible.
On protesting, a nurse suggests she speak to her congressman. She calls the office of Senator Bob Casey, where she is advised to contact the Department of Health.
15 March - drives hour to testing site
After several terrible days of sickness, Dr Bahorik hears of eight coronavirus testing sites in the neighbouring county of Lehigh Valley.
It is an hour's drive and she is feeling weak but goes to the test centre in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
Denied test again
Once again she is told that because she had not travelled to a high risk country or been in known contact with someone with coronavirus, she cannot have a test.
Having once been a doctor in the US Army Reserve, Dr Bahorik contacts her Veterans Affairs hospital. They later tell her that they do not have Covid-19 testing kits.
By this stage, Dr Bahorik's chest pain and coughing has worsened.
17 March - sent to hospital emergency room
Claudia Bahorik calls back her family doctor.
She is told to go to the emergency room at nearby St Joseph's Hospital, where the clinician in charge has given assurances she can get a coronavirus test.
At the hospital, she has to do another flu test and RSV test, this time, however, the new chest X-ray shows she has now developed pneumonia in her left lung.
Finally gets coronavirus test
Dr Bahorik gets a test, though getting the nasal sample makes her nose bleed, covering the swab with blood.
She is sent home with antibiotics and told to wait 3-5 days for result of the test.
23 March - test results delayed
Dr Bahorik calls the hospital to be told that the wait for test results is now 10 days because the samples were sent off to laboratories that are currently overwhelmed.
She has not responded to the antibiotics, and remains ill.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52019509
Two-week timeline
9 March - visits family doctor
Claudia Bahorik sees her family doctor who agrees that she should have a coronavirus test. The local health system's protocol requires that he first carry out an influenza test, a test for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), a chest X-ray and some laboratory work to rule out other possibilities.
She goes home to await those results.
10 March - denied a coronavirus test
The doctor informs Claudia that while tests ruled out the other causes, Pennsylvania Department of Health did not give approval for her to get a coronavirus test.
She does not meet the criteria of having known exposure to someone who had tested positive for coronavirus, or travelled to a country deemed to be high risk.
Calls health officials and politicians
Frustrated and even more ill, Dr Bahorik calls the Department of Health. Despite exhibiting symptoms, and given her age and previous spells of pneumonia, they were inflexible.
On protesting, a nurse suggests she speak to her congressman. She calls the office of Senator Bob Casey, where she is advised to contact the Department of Health.
15 March - drives hour to testing site
After several terrible days of sickness, Dr Bahorik hears of eight coronavirus testing sites in the neighbouring county of Lehigh Valley.
It is an hour's drive and she is feeling weak but goes to the test centre in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
Denied test again
Once again she is told that because she had not travelled to a high risk country or been in known contact with someone with coronavirus, she cannot have a test.
Having once been a doctor in the US Army Reserve, Dr Bahorik contacts her Veterans Affairs hospital. They later tell her that they do not have Covid-19 testing kits.
By this stage, Dr Bahorik's chest pain and coughing has worsened.
17 March - sent to hospital emergency room
Claudia Bahorik calls back her family doctor.
She is told to go to the emergency room at nearby St Joseph's Hospital, where the clinician in charge has given assurances she can get a coronavirus test.
At the hospital, she has to do another flu test and RSV test, this time, however, the new chest X-ray shows she has now developed pneumonia in her left lung.
Finally gets coronavirus test
Dr Bahorik gets a test, though getting the nasal sample makes her nose bleed, covering the swab with blood.
She is sent home with antibiotics and told to wait 3-5 days for result of the test.
23 March - test results delayed
Dr Bahorik calls the hospital to be told that the wait for test results is now 10 days because the samples were sent off to laboratories that are currently overwhelmed.
She has not responded to the antibiotics, and remains ill.
Please explain why this message is being reported.
MESSAGE THREAD
This is a pretty interesting article about one women's - BigSlickTiger MU - 3/26 09:54:28
-