Regarding Covid-19, I had a thought. I work in the emergency department. And for a couple of months I have been seeing a lot of patients with slam-dunk flu, but negative tests. Now, I know that the influenza test is imperfect. But I wonder if we’ve had this in the community for longer than we realized, but didn’t know to test for it? This is wild conjecture. I’m neither an infectious disease specialist nor epidemiologist. But I am on the front-lines of public health issues, every day that I go to work.Â
I’ve been seeing the same thing in urgent care and ER for the last month or so. They look, smell and act like flu. Even with a pretty aggressive posterior nasal swab or nasal aspirate, they test negative.
I am in East Tennessee and I believe we have all had it or have it. RN ’87
Katie
3 years ago
My mother who has been a nurse for 43 years believes she had it back in January. Had all the symptoms, got tested twice for influenza – both tests were negative. Took her 3 1/2 weeks to recover. Same with my grandmother, and a handful of my clients. So I too, think it has been here much longer than we have known.
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I’ve been seeing the same thing in urgent care and ER for the last month or so. They look, smell and act like flu. Even with a pretty aggressive posterior nasal swab or nasal aspirate, they test negative.
Dave in Utah.
I wrote about this on LinkedIn and it seems like lots of folks feel the same way!
Same here. RN in prison clinic. Neg flu tests for people with flu like symptoms
Our nasopharyngeal swabs keep coming back Metapnuemovirus. With flu, rhino, known coronaviruses etc all negative. It’s got to be Covid 19.
Thanks! Very interesting.
I am in East Tennessee and I believe we have all had it or have it. RN ’87
My mother who has been a nurse for 43 years believes she had it back in January. Had all the symptoms, got tested twice for influenza – both tests were negative. Took her 3 1/2 weeks to recover. Same with my grandmother, and a handful of my clients. So I too, think it has been here much longer than we have known.
Katie
Illinois