Your CoVid-19 test queries and observations - the Megathread

theballz

I have had symptoms now for over a week. I was reluctant to speak to my GP as I didn’t want to put others out who may need a test more than me (I am 30 years old,) however, despite resting, isolating and doing as instructed my symptoms got dramatically worse.

I got the email today with confirmation of time, date and location of test.

Little nervous about, has anyone had it done and if so what should I expect? Do I need to bring anything with me?

Thank you

Beasty

Threads merged

thebaz

I think most agree one of the best ways to tackle Covid is through an efficient testing program. The Irish government have done many things well, but from anyone I know in the real world, the testing has been very badly organised. I realise staff are flat out, its a new virus , but from what I've heard many that were sick could not get a test, and those that did were waiting ages for the test and then results. I realise test kits are hard to come by globally, but surely we should be testing the sick, rather than spending huge resources backwards tracing the cases that actually got tested.
Have others experienced/heard of similar problems with testing process . Havnt seen a dedicated thread on testing process.

lawrencesummers

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0413/1130283-tests-error-hse/

Its hardly a surprise that the HSE has made mistakes on testing, that has happened consistently for years now. While I am reluctant to criticize the HSE because it diminishes the heroic work being done by Doctors and Nurses it important to look at the issue of testing.

I had plenty of discussions in the early days on here with people who were putting a lot of faith in testing, and I was unable to see the value that was being placed in it. (Its 3 weeks now for me since test was requested and no result)

Since this has started testing has been talked about as being vital, yet the testing itself has left a lot to be desired, it was under resourced, administrated poorly and the figures we have been given have been lacking in detail. We have never hit the testing figures that Simon Harris said we would. (I can accept the nature of the crisis played a part in all that, but it showed the limits of health system)

As of now, we still cant take the number of cases as being accurate, and until the backlog is cleared and we get a more detailed picture of how many daily tests are taken, and they number of positives / negatives then we Joe Public cant tell how this is going. We are being kept in the dark on this intentionally by not getting this data and its either because the HSE / Government dont want to look bad, or else they dont want the public to react incorrectly to good or bad news (personally i think a combination of both)

There has been reports of the backlog being cleared by the end of the week, and enough reagent has been sourced for the testing required, this is a massive hurdle if we are going to be able to life restrictions down the road and if they are unable to sort out the testing by the end of this week serious questions need to be asked about the handling of this entire crisis.

Sheep Shagger

https://www.newstalk.com/news/emirates-covid-19-tests-1000390

Spanish Eyes

Be great if we could all get a ten minute test result. But I notice it is a blood test so maybe it's an antibody test. Sounds a bit off to me. But anyway.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

https://www.newstalk.com/news/emirates-covid-19-tests-1000390

Would wonder of the sensitivity of these tests.

The UK and Spain recently cancelled contracts for blood tests because they didn't work as advertised and the false negative rate was too high.

Are these different?

mandrake04

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Would wonder of the sensitivity of these tests.

The UK and Spain recently cancelled contracts for blood tests because they didn't work as advertised and the false negative rate was too high.

Are these different?

Those things are rubbish, not sensitive enough.

Abbott released a serology test yesterday for their Architect immunoassay platform, the other top tier Dia companies will be doing the same in the next few weeks

Scruff101

Can anyone advise how long it's taking for test results to come back at the moment?

Beasty

Threads merged

JP Liz V1

Scruff101 wrote: »

Can anyone advise how long it's taking for test results to come back at the moment?

If the backlog is gone, I think it is 3 to 5 days

lawrencesummers

The testing that has been carried out by the Netherlands is to me the most interesting piece of factual data that exists in relation to this.

It will be interesting to see how they proceed.
I wonder if they have considered re-testing all those people again to see if numbers have increased.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-netherlands-study-idUSKCN21Y102


It’s possible, entirely possible that we have no handle on the number of infected people in this country due to Asymptematic spreading and that the lockdown and attempted curtailment of spread is not working, or just (necessarily) delaying the inevitable spread.

When you consider the big picture the only possible way to eradicate the virus From a country With no vaccines is to stop international movement, is to test a very high % of the population (maybe 90%) in a short period of time, have everyone isolate until their results are either negative or antibody positive. Then isolate everyone else. And repeat the test on negatives a week later and isolate everyone again until they are confirmed negative or antibody present. In short, it’s probably completely impossible to eradicate this virus until a global vaccine or therapeutic is available.

The idea of this glaring up and getting waves of infection is highly likely I think.

RooTruth2020

Hi all,

I have an elderly parent currently in an acute ward who is being tested for COVID-19. Their test result came back as indeterminate, and as a result they are doing a retest.

My question - what is an indeterminate result?

Also, as I have been in close contact with them in the days, and even hours before they were tested, should I be self-isolating?

Thank you
Roo

biko

Not sure, it means inconclusive and they need to test again



Yes

Martina1991

RooTruth2020 wrote: »

Hi all,

I have an elderly parent currently in an acute ward who is being tested for COVID-19. Their test result came back as indeterminate, and as a result they are doing a retest.

My question - what is an indeterminate result?

Also, as I have been in close contact with them in the days, and even hours before they were tested, should I be self-isolating?

Thank you
Roo

You should isolate until their result comes back.

In the testing process, genes specific to SARS-CoV 2 are looked for. If these genes are present, they are multiplied many many times until they reach a threshold and the analyser recognises that there in enough viral genetic material to call the sample as postive.
If there isn't enough genetic material, or only 1 of the genes they're looking for is present, the result is indeterminite.

This may be due to low quantities of the virus on the swab, or may represent nonspecific reactivity i.e. there was something detected but it may not have been SARS CoV2 or could have been some contamination.

RooTruth2020

Martina1991 wrote: »

You should isolate until their result comes back.

In the testing process, genes specific to SARS-CoV 2 are looked for. If these genes are present, they are multiplied many many times until they reach a threshold and the analyser recognises that there in enough viral genetic material to call the sample as postive.
If there isn't enough genetic material, or only 1 of the genes they're looking for is present, the result is indeterminite.

This may be due to low quantities of the virus on the swab, or may represent nonspecific reactivity i.e. there was something detected but it may not have been SARS CoV2 or could have been some contamination.

Thanks, Martina. Very helpful response.

RooTruth2020

An update. I got the bad news this afternoon that my elderly parent (already hospitalised) today tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. This was after two earlier tests - one inconclusive and one negative - within the span of a few days. It seems that false negatives are possible with this test.

I am now self-isolating again, but does anyone know what happens now? I guess public health will be in touch.

Littlefinger

I was hoping someone here could help me. I got tested for Covid-19 on the 3rd April at home. It is now 3rd May and I am still waiting for my results. Is there anyone else waiting just as long or longer?

Danno

Reading the news here https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0514/1138376-coronavirus-testing-hse/ today it says that...

Speaking at a media briefing this morning, HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid said almost 270,000 tests have been carried out so far, and outlined targets for the health service from next week.

270,000 is a large number, but is this number including repeat tests on the same person, i.e. front-line healthcare staff, etc...

If so, is there anywhere that is reported of how many individuals have been tested.

The 270,000 could be 27,000 people tested ten times each.

Beasty

Yes it includes repeat testing. Can't imagine anyone has been tested 10 times, but maybe some healthcare workers in particular have had multiple tests

I would assume that many who test positive are tested again to check if they have recovered

virginmediapls

Hi,

I just got a text from SwiftQueue (organizes tests for covid). Test @ 1.20pm. Text sent @ 1.00pm. Test centre was 60mins away from my house.

I called HSELive to reschedule. They could not, but said they'd add it to my notes - but if I was given the same centre to contact my GP to make another booking for me.

This will probably add ~2 days delay to sorting me out, which is a pain but I'll get over it. I am living with nurses who need to isolate because of me though, so that is frustrating.

Does anyone know if there's a list of open test centres anywhere, and any way to explicitly select one?

I am able to drive - but not for 2hrs, and I'd rather not take the test at home when I am fit to drive and other people may not be.

Thanks.

pc7

Does anyone know how long for results now if tested in Croke Park? thanks.

virginmediapls

virginmediapls wrote: »

Hi,

I just got a text from SwiftQueue (organizes tests for covid). Test @ 1.20pm. Text sent @ 1.00pm. Test centre was 60mins away from my house.

I called HSELive to reschedule. They could not, but said they'd add it to my notes - but if I was given the same centre to contact my GP to make another booking for me.

This will probably add ~2 days delay to sorting me out, which is a pain but I'll get over it. I am living with nurses who need to isolate because of me though, so that is frustrating.

Does anyone know if there's a list of open test centres anywhere, and any way to explicitly select one?

I am able to drive - but not for 2hrs, and I'd rather not take the test at home when I am fit to drive and other people may not be.

Thanks.

Today I received a text at 10.58am for a swab appointment at 11am.

This is getting ridiculous.

Recliner

How long does it take on average to get a Covid test result back?
If you were tested in a hospital, would your get your results in 12 hours?
Are you contacted either way, negative/positive?
Or is it a case that if you don't hear back, you can assume that you've gotten the all clear

Beasty

Threads merged