More convinced than ever that testing numbers and the way tests are being given is total BS. At least in our area of Wisconsin- I guess other states or even other areas of Wisconsin may be doing better. Also not basing this on just our experience, but similar and worse experiences I’ve heard from others.
Wife came down with a sore throat and cough last week (no fever). Normally she wouldn’t have thought much of it, but she called her doctor who called her in for a strep test. Test negative for strep throat so she was sent to the temporary COVID-19 testing center. Temporary testing center has since shut down- was only open 2 weeks- and now the only place to get tested in this area is once again at one location- one of the hospitals- and you have to be referred by your doctor or be African American or Latino to get tested. Wife told results would take 3 to 5 days and was told that she needed to quarantine at home pending the results. Not said or instructed by anyone, but wife quarantining equaled me quarantining.
So day 5 rolls around. Haven’t heard from anyone about test results. Wife calls early afternoon and after a half hour on the phone is told she’s not in their database and therefore was never tested. She still wasn’t feeling well and called her doctor to try and get another test. Told she couldn’t get another test because she still has results pending from her first test. Called back to number given by testing center. Another half hour and they find her in the system, but no results.
Day 6- wife finally feeling better, but repeat more or less of day 5 regarding test results- sorry not in system, are you sure you were tested- oh wait there you are- sorry no results- maybe by the end of the day.
Day 7- hadn’t planned on quarantining so strictly due to grocery stores here still limiting a lot of items (wrote about it before- while I understand the purpose of the restrictions- to prevent hoarding- all the restrictions have really accomplished on my end is forcing me to have to go to the store twice a week instead of once). Had been doing pretty well all things considered, but out of bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, etc., down to last 2 rolls of toilet paper and remaining food mostly canned and frozen. Wife finally contacted with results- had to confirm her social and date of birth- then told “Mr. Johnson your results are negative”. My wife is not a mister and our last name isn’t Johnson. She explains she’s not a mister or named Johnson, they ask her to repeat her social and date of birth and then tell her that yes, per her social and date of birth she is Mr. Johnson. She fires off an angry email to the State Department of Health Services. Within 10 minutes of sending it, someone from the DHS calls her. They assure her they’ll look into it. They call back about an hour later and tell they can confirm that her results are negative. She asks for that in writing. Gets told they don’t have the means to provide negative results in writing at this time.
The day we started our strict quarantine I called my doctor, explained my wife’s symptoms, explained she had test results pending, and asked if I should get tested. I had no symptoms myself so I couldn’t get tested. I asked what if my wife tests positive, should I get tested then? Nope, not without symptoms. I asked about an antibody test. Told those haven’t really become available in Wisconsin yet.
So good news, my wife doesn’t have COVID-19 (or at least she didn’t on the day she was tested, assuming the test was accurate and the results given were actually her results). But our area is still only testing people with symptoms (and African Americans and Latinos) and no antibody tests. And testing is also about as inconvenient as it could be thus limiting even some people who should get tested from being tested.
Topic: The COVID-19 Pandemic: What's happening in your part of the world? (Read 7024 times)