General Discussion/Q&A on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[straitman]

Not sure if this will be a question or a rant.

Four family members flew into Melbourne on Monday from Europe. From midnight Monday (Victoria) there was no isolation requirement other than whilst awaiting Covid test results. Enroute they have done multiple Covid tests.
After 24 hours one result came back.
Our clinic who took the tests answers the phone but doesn't have any results.
At approaching 36 hours there are no further results and it is impossible to contact anyone who can help.
Most numbers waffle on for a bit and terminate the call. Some don't even connect.
Everyone is getting very frustrated as they are only here for 18 days before they are due to leave again.

If anyone has a suggestion it is most certainly welcome.

(We did check to see that we hadn't accidently rung the Qantas call centre )

 

[MelMel]

Not sure if this will be a question or a rant.

Four family members flew into Melbourne on Monday from Europe. From midnight Monday (Victoria) there was no isolation requirement other than whilst awaiting Covid test results. Enroute they have done multiple Covid tests.
After 24 hours one result came back.
Our clinic who took the tests answers the phone but doesn't have any results.
At approaching 36 hours there are no further results and it is impossible to contact anyone who can help.
Most numbers waffle on for a bit and terminate the call. Some don't even connect.
Everyone is getting very frustrated as they are only here for 18 days before they are due to leave again.

If anyone has a suggestion it is most certainly welcome.

(We did check to see that we hadn't accidently rung the Qantas call centre )

What do you mean by “our clinic” was it a drive through or a private pathology clinic?

 

[drron]

A good thread on twitter re Omicron severity.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1473706952366694402

 

[straitman]

What do you mean by “our clinic” was it a drive through or a private pathology clinic?

Pathology attached to our Drs Clinic. There is a relatively large Respiratory Clinic setup there.

 

[Quickstatus]

anyone has a suggestion

The Gp should/may have online access to view the results directly assuming that the results have been posted to the system.

If you can see the GP on a Christmas weekend they may be able to help.

Some think it’s a deliberate / tolerated slow walk with results because it’s a quarantine/isolation without officially announcing a quarantine

 

[straitman]

The Gp should/may have online access to view the results directly assuming that the results have been posted to the system.

If you can see the GP on a Christmas weekend they may be able to help.

Some think it’s a deliberate / tolerated slow walk with results because it’s a quarantine/isolation without officially announcing a quarantine

As I mentioned above "Our clinic who took the tests answers the phone but doesn't have any results."

 

[Quickstatus]

As I mentioned above

Sounds like the results have not been verified - which is done manually and then manually logged into the system in the sense a human intervention is required

Positives would have been prioritised and the negatives all queued for verification and data entry

 

[straitman]

Sounds like the results have not been verified - which is done manually and then manually logged into the system in the sense a human intervention is required

Positives would have been prioritised and the negatives all queued for verification and data entry

Understood but not good enough in the big picture.
Why do one of four?

 

[Quickstatus]

Why do one of four?

Tests like these tend to be batched. So it depends on the person overseeing it and the workload they have. Once the samples are procured it all goes into a bag which randomises it, then gets transported to a main lab before it is picked out at random and then tested.

Most people don’t realise that pathology tests including PCR tests are virtually never done on site. They are processed at the collection point then frequently sent on to a few large labs.
They are not tested according to time of sampling. So just because it’s samples all in a row does not mean that the reporting will reflect that.

No news is good news. It is that likely to be negative. As a positive PCR will have notification systems alerting the lab tech.

 

[straitman]

Tests like these tend to be batched. So it depends on the person overseeing it and the workload they have. Once the samples are procured it all goes into a bag which randomises it, then gets transported to a main lab before it is picked out at random and then tested. They are not tested according to time of sampling. So just because it’s samples all in a row does not mean that the reporting will reflect that.

No news is good news. It is that likely to be negative. As a positive PCR will have notification systems alerting the lab tech.

We are not worried about them being +ve as this was the 4th or 5th test in a very short period. More that they are only in Aust for about 16 days and this puts a major dampener on the trip.

 

[Flashback]

We are not worried about them being +ve as this was the 4th or 5th test in a very short period. More that they are only in Aust for about 16 days and this puts a major dampener on the trip.

The quarantine that's not a quarantine! At least in the UK they call a spade a spade, and with a bit of extra dosh thrown at it you can get results within a few hours or <24.

 

[MelMel]

We are not worried about them being +ve as this was the 4th or 5th test in a very short period. More that they are only in Aust for about 16 days and this puts a major dampener on the trip.

The only help I can offer relates to my own situation last year. I used a drive through site at a shopping centre. After almost 3 days I still didn’t have a result and was missing work. I went back to the testing site, explained the situation and they gave me a number for the Pathology Lab who was processing the tests. I rang them and actually got through to someone who was able to look up my mobile number and verify my result. I should have received a text message but didn‘t. Obviously there are many differences to your situation but maybe you can find out which Pathology are processing it?

 

[straitman]

The only help I can offer relates to my own situation last year. I used a drive through site at a shopping centre. After almost 3 days I still didn’t have a result and was missing work. I went back to the testing site, explained the situation and they gave me a number for the Pathology Lab who was processing the tests. I rang them and actually got through to someone who was able to look up my mobile number and verify my result. I should have received a text message but didn‘t. Obviously there are many differences to your situation but maybe you can find out which Pathology are processing it?

Thanks.

We actually have been down that track. The recorded message from the lab says they are too busy to take calls and then it’s terminated.

Monday they are due for test #2 so we’ll see what that brings.

For the record they have each done an RA test with negative results.

 

[Flashback]

Hundreds forced to isolate until January after WA records five COVID-19 cases

www.9news.com.au

This is a good guide on how to score a free hotel upgrade. Rave on!

 

[Bundy Bear]

Discussion in the local paper The Courier Mail that the 2022 football season could be harder still to schedule matches with COVID around in bigger numbers.

On the TOTT on AFF was suggested more in joking fashion about having a covid party once someone tested positive, if you could get all the team sick before the season started wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Currently the government has got to get the balance right as a low % of people will get sick and require hospital treatment, but in another way you want people to get sick quickly so that we get to a herd immunity

Which part of the crowd at the Boxing day test will end up having to isolate and get tested for COVID.

 

[Pushka]

Discussion in the local paper The Courier Mail that the 2022 football season could be harder still to schedule matches with COVID around in bigger numbers.

On the TOTT on AFF was suggested more in joking fashion about having a covid party once someone tested positive, if you could get all the team sick before the season started wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Currently the government has got to get the balance right as a low % of people will get sick and require hospital treatment, but in another way you want people to get sick quickly so that we get to a herd humidity.

Which part of the crowd at the Boxing day test will end up having to isolate and get tested for COVID.

Yes, chicken pox parties. Way back in March 2020 my relative in the UK who is my age suggested they would be better off having Covid early before the hospitals became inundated. And now, just having had the booster, now would be the best time, if it seems inevitable, for us to be positive. My dread is that we become positive two weeks before our flight to UK in May.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Which part of the crowd at the Boxing day test will end up having to isolate and get tested for COVID.

Got an email from MCG saying everyone had to check in, so could be the whole crowd. That's why we're watching on TV now.

For example we got pinged as 'maybe contact' in DJs Sydney CBD. 2x 8 floor buildings, that's a lot of contacts.

 

[Quickstatus]

this puts a major dampener on the trip.

The lack of comment by the Govt on the delay only leads the reasonable person to surmise that the Govt is quietly allowing defacto quarantine without formally announcing one.

 

[Quickstatus]

now would be the best time, if it seems inevitable, for us to be positive

Wait at least 2 weeks after the booster before inhaling.

 

[Pushka]

Wait at least 2 weeks after the booster before inhaling.

Partner won’t be two weeks until Friday. Holding my breath.