Anyone tested positive for Coronavirus here?

[Savak]

Anyone? Unfortunately my workplace is still not allowing us to work from home yet

 

[DeadBall]

Anyone?

No, not yet. Sorry to disappoint, been kissing random strangers, licking public turnstiles and everything to contract a deadly virus to be able to work from home but no luck so far.

 

[Syed1]

No, not yet. Sorry to disappoint, been kissing random strangers, licking public turnstiles and everything to contract a deadly virus to be able to work from home but no luck so far.

Lol you work for yourself you can work from home without having to give an excuse....

 

[IAJ]

Have worked from home almost a week now, I am used to it as I often work one day in week home anyway. I can concentrate better at home than in a landscape, but the big challenge now is that the schools are closed so I have to work at home with kids running around in the house.

On topic, not felt any symptoms yet, but Norway is the country with most affected in percentage, only beaten by Italy. 3 deaths so far i Oslo, one happend just 5 minutes drive from my house, at centre for old people. All 3 have been above 70 I think.

 

[IAJ]

No, not yet. Sorry to disappoint, been kissing random strangers, licking public turnstiles and everything to contract a deadly virus to be able to work from home but no luck so far.

If you get the virus you can pass it to others who may not be able to cope with it and die, so you will be a killer, in a way. I know you are joking, but in this time and age you never know

 

[DeadBall]

Lol you work for yourself you can work from home without having to give an excuse....

Yes, but I have to go monitor the construction sites to see everything is functioning as it should. I don't have to go give excuses to anyone but I have to make sure my business is running efficiently and construction is one job you cannot to from home.

However the planning, troubleshooting etc with the architects, engineers, designers, foremen etc are done via video conferencing now.

It was just hilarious how the desperate the OP was someone here to have the virus.

 

[Pakistanian]

Nope, classes have been postponed and everything has moved online for the remainder of the semester so won't be in crowded places for the foreseeable future. 62 cases in my state as of today, hopefully it doesn't grow.

 

[Sirris]

This virus is nothing to joke about. We have been joking about it and watching how things are developong for far too long. Now the virus is knocking on our doors.

Everyone besides china had the time to prepare and take measurements but we failed to do so.

Let's hope for the best but many highly developed countries haven't gotten the exponentiall growth under control.

 

[DeadBall]

This virus is nothing to joke about. We have been joking about it and watching how things are developong for far too long. Now the virus is knocking on our doors.

Everyone besides china had the time to prepare and take measurements but we failed to do so.

Let's hope for the best but many highly developed countries haven't gotten the exponentiall growth under control.

Joking about something is also a coping mechanism. The majority don't have the common sense you are talking about.

It's very easy to talk sensibly about the protocols on the internet but the ground reality is totally different, always has been and always will be.

Whatever is to pass, will pass. Might as well have a laugh about it.

 

[Shariq7]

My wife, who is a physician at a hospital in Arkansas, came in contact with a patient who was recently tested positive for COVID 19. Subsequently, we have both been ordered to quarantine ourselves at home for 14 days. However, she is not showing any symptoms yet, and the hospital says that she will be in the clear if she does not develop any symptoms for five days after being exposed to the patient.

I was scheduled to leave for Pakistan today, but I had already decided to cancel the trip a couple of days ago. Ever since I have been trying to call Turkish Airlines. Apparently, they will cancel your reservation and issue you an open ticket provided you get a hold of a customer service rep before your flight time, which I still have not been able to do after 48 hours of intermittent attempts.

 

[shaykh]

I expect to catch it...I travel on the train and tube in London every morning for work...my job doesn't currently allow me to work from home...and as a teacher I have a classroom full of students...and one of my colleagues is currently self isolating for displaying a couple of symptoms...

Living my life as normal while the government allows me to...with extra washing hands being my only precaution...

 

[Sirris]

If you develop flu like symptoms don't stress over it. Treat it like a normal flu. Drink lots of fluid, herbal tea, eat healthy and rest. Only once serious symptoms like difficulty breathing appear should you contact an hospital. Because at the early stage of infection there isn't much the hospitals can do either.

Only thing the hospitals can do is try to help with the pneumonia that might develop due to the infection. Hence give your immune system the best environment so that it can defeat the virus early on.

 

[Pakistanian]

If you develop flu like symptoms don't stress over it. Treat it like a normal flu. Drink lots of fluid, herbal tea, eat healthy and rest. Only once serious symptoms like difficulty breathing appear should you contact an hospital. Because at the early stage of infection there isn't much the hospitals can do either.

Only thing the hospitals can do is try to help with the pneumonia that might develop due to the infection. Hence give your immune system the best environment so that it can defeat the virus early on.

you must be tested right away if you develop even the earliest of symptoms and then quarantined to prevent you from infecting others.

 

[Sirris]

you must be tested right away if you develop even the earliest of symptoms and then quarantined to prevent you from infecting others.

It depends on the country you live in and it's capacity to test and what the set up is like. Imagine a hallway full of other people eager to get tested too. You are most likely putting yourself under more risk.

Of course staying home and self isolation should be done once symptoms appear.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

you must be tested right away if you develop even the earliest of symptoms and then quarantined to prevent you from infecting others.

Not necessarily.

This is basic common sense yet never hurts as a reminder.


It could backfire.
Here is the good ol Zdogmd

 

[globalcitizen]

IMPORTANT: The French government has issued a warning against taking anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, Advil, cortisone) with covid-19 symptoms, as it may cause severe cases of the disease, even in young and middle aged adults with no underlying conditions

 

[Nadeemp]

i got to today. did not go for a test. gf is a doctor and she says it's corona. no problem breathing or fever. just chills and extreme body pain. th pain is almost unbearable

 

[Varun]

PP is a website with a lot of users from the UK, where there is an exponential rise in cases so I suppose it's only a matter of time before someone reports a case here too.

Everyone stay safe though!

 

[Kaizoku]

i got to today. did not go for a test. gf is a doctor and she says it's corona. no problem breathing or fever. just chills and extreme body pain. th pain is almost unbearable

Go for a test if possible. Its better to be certain. Chills and symptoms may also be due to other reasons. Stay healthy.

 

[troodon]

i got to today. did not go for a test. gf is a doctor and she says it's corona. no problem breathing or fever. just chills and extreme body pain. th pain is almost unbearable

Just make sure it is not Flu.

 

[Zaz]

Ive had flu like symptoms since thursday Cough temperature n fatigue

Theres no way for the avge joe to be tested in the uk unless it gets reallt bad

Ive not really got any better or worse since Just riding it out for the next few days

 

[last_knight]

Ive had flu like symptoms since thursday Cough temperature n fatigue

Theres no way for the avge joe to be tested in the uk unless it gets reallt bad

Ive not really got any better or worse since Just riding it out for the next few days

Self isolate and Stay strong.
Get well soon.

 

[Nadeemp]

Go for a test if possible. Its better to be certain. Chills and symptoms may also be due to other reasons. Stay healthy.

doctor friends have told me unless you have breathing problem don't go to hospital. lines are hours. i can't even stand for 5 minutes due to fatigue. plus if i don't have corona i will for sure get it if i visit a hospital. i have no temperature. just extreme fatigue and body aches that are almost impossible to bear.

 

[ElRaja]

doctor friends have told me unless you have breathing problem don't go to hospital. lines are hours. i can't even stand for 5 minutes due to fatigue. plus if i don't have corona i will for sure get it if i visit a hospital. i have no temperature. just extreme fatigue and body aches that are almost impossible to bear.

my friend went through exactly this but with a fever, hes on the mend now and feeling better but i dont think he got to a hospital either.

as long as u arent having breathing difficulties u are pbly better off at home. how many days has it been?

 

[Majid Khan]

living in London, it was only a matter of time - not tested but have gone into self-isolation due to symptoms experienced , fever and temperature in particular that has lasted for a few days.

Just coping as best as I can by watching old videos of some memorable batting performances by Hafeez against Australia and South Africa..

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Flu like symptoms for a couple of days but it seems minor. Not sure whether to test it not.

 

[Nadeemp]

living in London, it was only a matter of time - not tested but have gone into self-isolation due to symptoms experienced , fever and temperature in particular that has lasted for a few days.

Just coping as best as I can by watching old videos of some memorable batting performances by Hafeez against Australia and South Africa..

are you also hallucinating due to the virus. ha geez batting???? just kidding. drink water and sleep. that's what has helped me. also tylenol helps with those body aches

 

[Saj]

Anyone been tested?

 

[Savak]

A class fellow of mine from IBA has tested positive. He has been coughing blood for the last two days and even worse when the cough is dry. This virus cannot be underestimated, people need to take it seriously and self isolate.

 

[sweep_shot]

I had symptoms last week (high fever and throat soreness). But, I am feeling better currently.

I don't know if it was the virus but I isolated myself as a precaution.

 

[moghul]

Flu like symptoms for a couple of days but it seems minor. Not sure whether to test it not.

If you're young and has no significant past medical history and no shortness of breath, just stay home and practice the social distancing and whatever isolation you can afford, do it. Drink orange juice and if can take Vit C, that would be helpful, suggested, not proven. With other medications, we're using high dose Vitamin C ( intravenous ) and some Zinc to treat covid19 positive patients based on some limited data. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

living in London, it was only a matter of time - not tested but have gone into self-isolation due to symptoms experienced , fever and temperature in particular that has lasted for a few days.

Just coping as best as I can by watching old videos of some memorable batting performances by Hafeez against Australia and South Africa..

Majid Bhai,
May God protect us all.

As you might be aware that United States has announced Hydrochloroquine to be a potential treatment for Covid-19, please see if you can get your hands to some?

It's a prescription medicine sold under the brand name Plaquenil. Here in the U.S., you can't buy it over the counter, not sure what's the situation in UK?


Hope you feel better and you never had this virus to begin with.

 

[jusarrived]

If you're young and has no significant past medical history and no shortness of breath, just stay home and practice the social distancing and whatever isolation you can afford, do it. Drink orange juice and if can take Vit C, that would be helpful, suggested, not proven. With other medications, we're using high dose Vitamin C ( intravenous ) and some Zinc to treat covid19 positive patients based on some limited data. Hope you feel better soon.

Are smokers more vulnerable? I am a smoker , though don’t chain smoke anymore . I do tend to fall sick more often , usual cough and fever every 1-2 months .

 

[Majid Khan]

Majid Bhai,
May God protect us all.

As you might be aware that United States has announced Hydrochloroquine to be a potential treatment for Covid-19, please see if you can get your hands to some?

It's a prescription medicine sold under the brand name Plaquenil. Here in the U.S., you can't buy it over the counter, not sure what's the situation in UK?


Hope you feel better and you never had this virus to begin with.

Thanks bro, appreciated.

I will look out for that medication if it's available here, especially if it helps with the fever/temperature as that keeps coming back within a couple of hours once it feels like it's settling down a little, but hopefully will clear after a few days.

 

[jusarrived]

Thanks bro, appreciated.

I will look out for that medication if it's available here, especially if it helps with the fever/temperature as that keeps coming back within a couple of hours once it feels like it's settling down a little, but hopefully will clear after a few days.

Isn’t it better to get tested and find out for sure ?

 

[Saj]

living in London, it was only a matter of time - not tested but have gone into self-isolation due to symptoms experienced , fever and temperature in particular that has lasted for a few days.

Just coping as best as I can by watching old videos of some memorable batting performances by Hafeez against Australia and South Africa..

All the best to you.

I'm sure the classic knocks from Hafeez will make you feel better very quickly

 

[Majid Khan]

Isn’t it better to get tested and find out for sure ?

You can only get tested here in UK if you have severe symptoms and breathing difficulties from what I’m advised. Thankfully things not bad , just taking bed rest and drinking water and inshallah things should improve.

 

[Majid Khan]

All the best to you.

I'm sure the classic knocks from Hafeez will make you feel better very quickly

Thanks bro, yes it’s easy to forget all illnesses when watching the batting master class from players of his caliber.

 

[Markhor]

Majid Bhai,
May God protect us all.

As you might be aware that United States has announced Hydrochloroquine to be a potential treatment for Covid-19, please see if you can get your hands to some?

It's a prescription medicine sold under the brand name Plaquenil. Here in the U.S., you can't buy it over the counter, not sure what's the situation in UK?


Hope you feel better and you never had this virus to begin with.

Thanks bro, appreciated.

I will look out for that medication if it's available here, especially if it helps with the fever/temperature as that keeps coming back within a couple of hours once it feels like it's settling down a little, but hopefully will clear after a few days.

Hydroxychloroquine is prescription only in the UK. Bear in mind it does have some side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea etc, plus it's not approved for COVID-19 since it hasn't been tested in any randomised controlled trials. However it has had some benefit in some Chinese patients albeit it's a very small sample.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Hydroxychloroquine is prescription only in the UK. Bear in mind it does have some side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea etc, plus it's not approved for COVID-19 since it hasn't been tested in any randomised controlled trials. However it has had some benefit in some Chinese patients albeit it's a very small sample.

Obviously, I am not a trained healthcare professional and do not intend to spread any wrong info; however, this is what was issued by the FDA for the healthcare professionals in USA a day or two ago.
This may be changed later but I guess this is the latest we have for now.

And yes, no one should try to self diagnose and start the treatment of Covid-19 on his/her own. A consultation with a healthcare professional is the way to go.

Plaquenil

show me the closest gas station

Majid Bhai,
as I posted into another thread,

Together with taking Vit C, and Acetaminophen to reduce the symptoms, there is an old grandma remedy that obviously will not kill the virus but over the years, it has greatly benefited me during recovery from regular flu and influenza.

Mix equal amounts of pure honey and fresh lemon juice and take a table spoon twice a day. Boosts immune system and greatly speeds up the recovery process.

 

[m.shah]

I am feeling a little weakness no body ache like that more like when you gave feverfrom yesterday and sometimes dry cough. I travelled from Delhi to Srinagar few days ago. As I Went to doctor this morning he prescribed some medicines like monocef and Dolo. Should I be worried?

 

[Zaz]

I am feeling a little weakness no body ache like that more like when you gave feverfrom yesterday and sometimes dry cough. I travelled from Delhi to Srinagar few days ago. As I Went to doctor this morning he prescribed some medicines like monocef and Dolo. Should I be worried?

Only if u you are 50 plus and have potentially serious health issues...

 

[m.shah]

Only if u you are 50 plus and have potentially serious health issues...

I am 26 and alhamdulillah no serious health issues.

 

[kaayal]

I am feeling a little weakness no body ache like that more like when you gave feverfrom yesterday and sometimes dry cough. I travelled from Delhi to Srinagar few days ago. As I Went to doctor this morning he prescribed some medicines like monocef and Dolo. Should I be worried?

Don’t need to panic now but better to self isolate. Since we can’t test it now, if this is actually Covid-19, there is a risk of you transmiting it to your family. So don’t take that risk.

If you have no other health issues and is young, most probably you will recover from it without much damage.But if you have strong fever, chills and chest pains etc consult doctor asap.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

8 hours sleep.

No stress (hard to do tho)

Oranges, kiwis, lemons and Shimla mirchs.

Take care everyone.

 

[m.shah]

Don’t need to panic now but better to self isolate. Since we can’t test it now, if this is actually Covid-19, there is a risk of you transmiting it to your family. So don’t take that risk.

If you have no other health issues and is young, most probably you will recover from it without much damage.But if you have strong fever, chills and chest pains etc consult doctor asap.

Thanks for answering. I consulted doctor today and I am feeling much better with fever gone and weakness is also gone to some extent. Sometimes I am dry cough that us my only concern now. Still I am resting and mainting distance from everyone.

 

[kaayal]

Are smokers more vulnerable? I am a smoker , though don’t chain smoke anymore . I do tend to fall sick more often , usual cough and fever every 1-2 months .

For smokers, their lung health will be already compromised. Since this virus mainly attacks lung tissue and causes pneumonia, you are vulnerable even if you are young. So take more precautions as much as you can.

 

[jusarrived]

For smokers, their lung health will be already compromised. Since this virus mainly attacks lung tissue and causes pneumonia, you are vulnerable even if you are young. So take more precautions as much as you can.

Oh great .
Am losing it just sitting at home , imagine if I have to quit smoking now

 

[kaayal]

Oh great .
Am losing it just sitting at home , imagine if I have to quit smoking now

Your lung changes will not reverse even if you quit smoking now. So better take precautions.

 

[jusarrived]

Your lung changes will not reverse even if you quit smoking now. So better take precautions.

Ok that sounded better for some reason .ahah Thanks anyway

 

[Nikhil_cric]

If you're young and has no significant past medical history and no shortness of breath, just stay home and practice the social distancing and whatever isolation you can afford, do it. Drink orange juice and if can take Vit C, that would be helpful, suggested, not proven. With other medications, we're using high dose Vitamin C ( intravenous ) and some Zinc to treat covid19 positive patients based on some limited data. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm turning 30 in may. Yeah I have been taking vitamin c and have been at home mostly. Thanks for the advice , brother.

 

[UP]

I just found out a grocery worker a mere 2 minutes away from my home passed away because of the coronavirus.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

I just found out a grocery worker a mere 2 minutes away from my home passed away because of the coronavirus.

How old was he? Did you see him with symptoms?

In any case, may he rest in peace. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Rajiun.

 

[UP]

How old was he? Did you see him with symptoms?

In any case, may he rest in peace. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Rajiun.

77

I didn’t see him. He came back from the UK to Canada and died 2 weeks later.

 

[Saj]

Best wishes to anyone who has.

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

an acquaintance got it along with his whole family . He recovered from it in about 3 week but he said that it was the worst 3 weeks of his life . Like he legit felt like he was coughing blades . His family got away with minor symptoms .

 

[Pakistanian]

an acquaintance got it along with his whole family . He recovered from it in about 3 week but he said that it was the worst 3 weeks of his life . Like he legit felt like he was coughing blades . His family got away with minor symptoms .

how old was he?

 

[shockbound]

living in London, it was only a matter of time - not tested but have gone into self-isolation due to symptoms experienced , fever and temperature in particular that has lasted for a few days.

Just coping as best as I can by watching old videos of some memorable batting performances by Hafeez against Australia and South Africa..

Hope you're doing good.
But Hafeez? Could have seen Saeed Anwar instead.

 

[Nadeemp]

I am on day 16 i think. All the symptoms are gone now. I just run out if breath very fast. Doctor friend said that night take another month. Plus no sense of smell or taste. Doctor said that might also take a month. It was 2 weeks of pure hell. Never had SERIOUS breathing problems, but the body aches almost finished me. Please all of you stay in. I am 45 non smoker in pretty good shape.

 

[Mesozoic]

I am on day 16 i think. All the symptoms are gone now. I just run out if breath very fast. Doctor friend said that night take another month. Plus no sense of smell or taste. Doctor said that might also take a month. It was 2 weeks of pure hell. Never had SERIOUS breathing problems, but the body aches almost finished me. Please all of you stay in. I am 45 non smoker in pretty good shape.

Get well soon brother.

 

[MenInG]

I am on day 16 i think. All the symptoms are gone now. I just run out if breath very fast. Doctor friend said that night take another month. Plus no sense of smell or taste. Doctor said that might also take a month. It was 2 weeks of pure hell. Never had SERIOUS breathing problems, but the body aches almost finished me. Please all of you stay in. I am 45 non smoker in pretty good shape.

Tough time for you but the best part is it that you are through the danger point.

 

[Nadeemp]

thank you. yes the worst is over. yesterday i went out to buy essentials. nyc is a ghost town. i live in the village. nobody out

 

[IMMY69]

anyone hear from Moghul recently?
Our doctor friend whose on the front line..

Hope he’s safe and well

 

[KingKhanWC]

There is a new theory being discussed by some scientists Covid19 has been around for 3 years in animals and only recently(last year) transfered to humans.

I dont know of anyone who has been tested positive but when amazon start selling testing kits for profit, things might change.

 

[Itachi]

I am on day 16 i think. All the symptoms are gone now. I just run out if breath very fast. Doctor friend said that night take another month. Plus no sense of smell or taste. Doctor said that might also take a month. It was 2 weeks of pure hell. Never had SERIOUS breathing problems, but the body aches almost finished me. Please all of you stay in. I am 45 non smoker in pretty good shape.

Heard interviews of patients. The patient was, as you have written, was very much in pain. One thing i noticed was the coughing pattern. It was different than normal cough. Going back, do you see any difference between the normal persistent cough and sars cov 2 cough?

 

[Sirris]

I am on day 16 i think. All the symptoms are gone now. I just run out if breath very fast. Doctor friend said that night take another month. Plus no sense of smell or taste. Doctor said that might also take a month. It was 2 weeks of pure hell. Never had SERIOUS breathing problems, but the body aches almost finished me. Please all of you stay in. I am 45 non smoker in pretty good shape.

Get well soon, this sounds like Coronavirus for sure.

A German expert I was listening to said that an extreme loss of smell and taste is a strong indicator of Covid-19. The sensory loss, if it occurs, is far more pronounced than what's common in a typical flu. They had one woman who couldn't even smell her baby's dirty diaper.

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

how old was he?

Dont know probably early 60's.

 

[Ryw]

I am on day 16 i think. All the symptoms are gone now. I just run out if breath very fast. Doctor friend said that night take another month. Plus no sense of smell or taste. Doctor said that might also take a month. It was 2 weeks of pure hell. Never had SERIOUS breathing problems, but the body aches almost finished me. Please all of you stay in. I am 45 non smoker in pretty good shape.

Get well soon bro

 

[Abdullah719]

anyone hear from Moghul recently?
Our doctor friend whose on the front line..

Hope he’s safe and well

Here you go.

After working daily without any break for weeks, got a lighter day today. Two of my ICU doctor colleagues came back , out of quarantine. But being at the epicenter of corona virus infection in USA, there is no break in numbers of deaths and load of patients in ICU we are dealing with.

Now we're at the critical stage of out fight against the covid 19 pandemic. More patients are dying on daily basis than ever before but now we're starting to see more patients coming out of ventilators, although numbers are still far less than dying and the new patients admitted. Some treatment is actually working, we hope so.

We are not seeing any signs of slowing down of the admissions in ICU , yet but it was good to hear some hopeful news from NYC, across the Hudson river from us. We're seeing light at the end of the tunnel, but tunnel is still very long.

Not just for me but for everyone in my team these have been the toughest days of our lives. Never saw so many deaths in such a short period of time and some of them I knew personally . Some health care personnel could not take the stress and just quite it but almost all other showed great resilience and toughness. Nurses and young physicians, residents and fellows have been working under great risk of catching the infection and couple of them became positive.

After living in USA for many years, I had a chance to see, up close and personal, the true character of a common American, at the time of extreme stress. They are really nice people, generous , patriotic, tough, hardworking and great team player . With such a great team, we going to win this war, no question about it.

 

[globalcitizen]

the major complications of coronavirus arise by getting pneumonia which can be fatal in some cases.. I can attest to the pain and discomfort because I had it in 2010 it’s called as pleural effusion. fluid is filled around chest and lungs and hard to breathe. the treatment is to drain fluid by making an incision in side of body and take antibiotics.
So you can imagine how dangerous it can be for an older person..

 

[MenInG]

The testing techniques seem to be getting better but still a high rate of false negatives from swab based tests.

 

[Nadeemp]

Heard interviews of patients. The patient was, as you have written, was very much in pain. One thing i noticed was the coughing pattern. It was different than normal cough. Going back, do you see any difference between the normal persistent cough and sars cov 2 cough?

sorry can't recall

 

[MenInG]

As COVID-19 tests become more widely available across the United States, scientists have warned that there is one growing concern: The tests are not 100 percent reliable, meaning people with negative results might actually have the virus.

That could have devastating implications as a global recession looms and governments wrangle with the question of when to reopen economies shuttered as billions of people were ordered to stay home in an effort to halt the transmission of the deadly disease.

The majority of tests around the world use a technology called PCR, which detects traces of the coronavirus in mucus samples.

But "there are a lot of things that impact whether or not the test actually picks up the virus," Priya Sampathkumar, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, told AFP.

"It depends on how much virus the person is shedding (through sneezing, coughing and other bodily functions), how the test was collected and whether it was done appropriately by someone used to collecting these swabs, and then how long it sat in transport," she said.

The virus has only been spreading among humans for four months and therefore studies about test reliability are still considered preliminary.

Early reports from China suggest its sensitivity, meaning how well it is able to return positive results when the virus is present, is somewhere around 60-70 percent.

Different companies around the world are now producing slightly different tests, so it is hard to have a precise overall figure.

But even if it were possible to increase the sensitivity to 90 percent, the magnitude of risk remains substantial as the number of people tested grows, Sampathkumar argued in a paper published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

"In California, estimates say the rate of COVID-19 infection may exceed 50 percent by mid-May 2020," she said.

With 40 million people, "even if only one percent of the population was tested, 20,000 false-negative results would be expected."

This makes it critical for clinicians to base their diagnosis on more than just the test: They must also examine a patient's symptoms, their potential exposure history, imaging and other lab work.

Timing is everything

Part of the problem lies in locating the virus as its area of highest concentration shifts within the body.

The main nasal swab tests examine the nasopharynx, where the back of the nose meets the top of the throat. This requires a trained hand to perform and some portion of the false negatives arises from improper procedures.

But even if done correctly, the swab may produce a negative. That is because as the disease progresses, the virus passes from the upper to the lower respiratory system.

In these cases, the patient may be asked to try to cough up sputum - mucus from the lower lungs - or doctors may need to take a sample more invasively when a patient is under sedation.

Speaking to AFP, Daniel Brenner, an emergency physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, described the procedure, bronchoalveolar, as a minimally invasive procedure to collect fluid from the lungs. This fluid is then tested for COVID-19.

This was done on a patient whose nasal swab returned negative three times, but who showed all the signs of COVID-19.

Eventually, the patient's medical team placed a camera down his windpipe to examine the lungs, then sprayed fluid in and sucked out secretions, which then tested positive for COVID-19.

No perfect test

Uncertainty in clinical diagnoses is not new, and clinicians are well aware that no type of test for any condition can be considered perfect.

What makes COVID-19 different is its newness, said Sampathkumar.

"Most of the time when you have tests, you have test characteristics outlined carefully and warnings about tests interpretation," she said.

"We had no test for so long, and when we got the test, we started using it widely and sort of forgot the basics."

After being slow to start mass testing, the US has ramped up production of test kits and has tested almost 2.5 million people, with pharmacists now authorised to carry out the procedure.

But "the real fear of that is people who are given a false negative test and then decide that they're safe to go around their daily life and go out and expose people," said Brenner.

Much hope is placed on newly available serological tests which look for antibodies produced by a person's body in response to the virus and can tell whether a person was infected, long after they recovered.

They could also be used to help diagnose a person who is currently infected but whose PCR test results showed a false negative, by waiting a week or so for the body to produce its immune response.

"We are excited about the serologic test, but we don't know how well it will work and we are starting to study it," said Sampathkumar.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...icating-covid-19-testing-200411100741669.html

 

[Pakistanian]

the major complications of coronavirus arise by getting pneumonia which can be fatal in some cases.. I can attest to the pain and discomfort because I had it in 2010 it’s called as pleural effusion. fluid is filled around chest and lungs and hard to breathe. the treatment is to drain fluid by making an incision in side of body and take antibiotics.
So you can imagine how dangerous it can be for an older person..

Except this causes viral pneumonia so antibiotics are useless, although they may be used to prevent further bacterial infections as the body is under attack but it won't take out the coronavirus.

 

[MenInG]

Not positive (yet) but was tested today - have to say the nasal swab is one of the most distressing experiences I have had - was in tears and pain!

 

[last_knight]

Not positive (yet) but was tested today - have to say the nasal swab is one of the most distressing experiences I have had - was in tears and pain!

Let's pray and hope for the best.
Nerves to Nose and Eyes are relatively superficial and more interlinked as compared to other parts of body and also mucosa is very sensitive. Discomfort doesn't last beyond few hours and should resolve after next sleep cycle.

 

[Local.Dada]

Not positive (yet) but was tested today - have to say the nasal swab is one of the most distressing experiences I have had - was in tears and pain!

Stay safe man. Hope everything will be fine

 

[Majid Khan]

Not positive (yet) but was tested today - have to say the nasal swab is one of the most distressing experiences I have had - was in tears and pain!

Hopefully all is fine , and may Allah protect us all from this horrible virus. I’ve been through a couple of weeks of illness with covid symptoms although not tested but that was not pleasant at all , just glad to have recovered for now at least thanks to the Almighty.

 

[MenInG]

Ok so far!

 

[MenInG]

Ok so far!

Alhamdolillah - negative.