Source
r/minnesota•
CorporalBB

PSA: Drive up testing isn't foolproof.

My son has been extremely sick since Wednesday so Thursday morning we scheduled a drive up test. It was easy to do, there were a ton of available times and it took like 10 minutes. Saturday, as he is getting sicker, we get a call that his test didn't work and he needs to reschedule a new one.

We go early Sunday. Again, nearly empty, lots of times to choose from, takes 10 minutes. Test comes back today, negative. Good!

Well he is still super sick. We get a video visit with a doc and he sets us up with an imaging appointment and get the results within a few hours. Turns out, my kid has it.

This sucks. Stay safe Minnesota.

Posted May 11, 2020, 8:33 PM UTC

2814
rumncokeguy•

I don’t think it’s specific to drive up testing, all testing has its limits. I think I’ve seen up to 20% of these tests can be false negatives depending on which one you get. Getting a second test after a negative is a good idea because the chance of two false negatives is very very low.

40
Tadhgdagis•

https://covidtestingproject.org/

Test sensitivity in the early stages of the disease is pretty lousy. Positive test or no, if your symptoms get worse, it's entirely appropriate to see someone again.

11
[deleted]•

[deleted]

2
purplepe0pleeater•

None of the Covid tests are foolproof. There have been a lot of false negatives which leads some people to need to be tested twice.

17
CochranVanRamstein•

Testing for a lot of things isn’t 100% accurate.

12
ReplacementsStink•

Every time I type a variation of this, it doesn't come off as any less clinical...so...

Thanks for sharing. Sorry about your son.

8
CorporalBBOP•

It's scary. Thankfully he has no underlying health concerns. Young and healthy prior to this. Still scares the crap out of me.

2
AceMcVeer•

How did imaging verify it? Did they do another lab test?

1
CorporalBBOP•

It was a CT scan.

8
AceMcVeer•

At CT Scan can show the symptoms of COVID, but it isn't definitive that COVID is the cause. It could still be from Influenza, H1N1, or just general pneumonia. With COVID being more prevalent right now the odds are that's what it is, but there is still the chance that it's not at the swab test was accurate in reporting a negative and your son does have something else.

5
MarcusSurvives•

A CT scan can show findings consistent with a viral-type pneumonia, but isn't a COVID test. However, I'd say OP should treat it as COVID in either case.

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[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
haleyashearer•

I've heard you can get a chest x-ray, and that will show it.

6
ineedcoffeealready•

How would he describe the feeling/pain of the test? I think thats a big reason people don't want to be tested

1
CorporalBBOP•

He said it was very uncomfortable and felt weird but not painful

3
dryphtyr•

They basically take a long swab, jam it up your nose & stab your brain through your sinus cavity for 15 seconds. I wouldn't call it super painful, but it is extremely unpleasant. Source: was tested a week ago.

3