Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Don’t rush to get tested. Testing negative for COVID-19 doesn’t mean you won’t pick it up and be positive next week – and the cost of repeatedly testing everybody for every symptom will be exorbitant


SHARED WITH PERMISSION ... from a musical friend of mine who is an ER physician in Penticton

Do Not Rush to Get Tested for COVID-19!!

Hello folks. As one of your local emergency physicians, I am going to take the role of devil's advocate and explain why I personally believe that testing is a waste of time for the general population. 

Although the test is good at telling you if you have COVID-19, its sensitivity appears to be no higher than 75%.

In medical terms, this means that 25% of people who have COVID-19 would actually test NEGATIVE. Whether you test positive or negative, still means that you need to SELF-ISOLATE.

If you get a false sense of security from a negative swab, you may loosen your isolation precautions and infect many people.

If you have symptoms and test negative (and actually are negative), then you may have something else like Influenza A ... H1N1 ... H3N2 ... Influenza B ... Parainfluenza ... Rhinovirus ... Non-COVID coronavirus ... Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV - there ACTUALLY is an outbreak of HMPV in one of our Penticton LTC facilities at the moment!).

That means YOU STILL need to SELF-ISOLATE!!

Testing negative, and not having COVID-19, does not mean you will not pick it up and be positive next week! The cost to society of repeatedly testing everybody for every symptom would be exorbitant.

As a society, lets save this money for rebuilding society after the pandemic passes. Save society money and SELF-ISOLATE.

Testing positive, early or not, WILL NOT ALTER the course of the disease, nor does it change your management!


Some/most (80+ %) will have mild disease (even though they personally feel like their illness is severe) ... about 20% will require hospitalization for oxygen ... and a subset of these will become critical irrespective of test results. 

Stay at home and SELF-ISOLATE.

If you don't actually have COVID-19, going into a hot zone (where all the COVID-19 positive patients are going to be tested), is needlessly putting yourself at higher risk of contracting it!

Stay at home and SELF-ISOLATE!

If you actually have COVID-19 but are well enough to make it to a testing center, then you more than likely are quite mild, and are then unnecessarily exposing and putting health care personnel at risk of getting it, not to mention the personal protective equipment that could be better used elsewhere.

Better to stay at home and SELF-ISOLATE.

Please do not show up to the ER because you feel like you want to be tested, or if have mild symptoms ... stay at home and SELF-ISOLATE.

If you feel increasingly short of breath and have chest pain when you breath in/out, then please, by any means, come into the ER.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PECKFORD -- Authoritarian governments in our own time, from the Nazi period to the USSR, have crippled democracy and freedom and yet we have not learned

Just come right out and say it ... it’s China ... and it’s communist. So there ... I said it! And its a virus, the corona virus, that came from China — the China Virus. Oh, yah it has a fancy name —but this keeps it simple and identifies its origin. Imagine that!!! Of course, now that Trump has said it, he, being a virus to most China sensitive people (and that’ s just about everyone) none will say it now —- And the political correctness and hypocrisy of it all. The World Health Organization changed all that a few years ago and like sheep we all followed along. No more geographic naming —that’s an order —-George Orwell is turning over in his grave. Of course, this WHO is part of the UN that has a Human Rights Council full of human rights violators whose sole purpose in life is to bring resolutions against the only democracy in the Middle East. Nice civilized crowd don’t you think?? We all put up with this charade every day and conti...
Post a Comment
Read more

Okanagan Farmers Face NDP-Created Water Crisis ~~ BC Conservatives

Okanagan farmers are facing a water crisis as government-imposed restrictions threaten to kill their crops and destroy one of B.C.’s most important agricultural industries. In perhaps the most water-rich province in the country, our farmers have been left high and dry by the NDP government. For nine weeks, Okanagan and Shuswap farmers have proposed solutions, only to be met with NDP foot-dragging. Now forest fires have come to these regions as they are simultaneously reckoning with a water crisis that has been made worse through years of government inaction. Vernon-area farms have lost 70 percent of their water, while Kelowna and Summerland growers face severe restrictions. This situation is unacceptable and cannot continue. Ian Paton, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, said the NDP is once again forcing farmers to pay for its own failure to plan. "Farmers and ranchers must be listened to when decisions affecting their livelihoods are made, and under the NDP, they aren’t," said...
Post a Comment
Read more

Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper to step down for Conservative Leader Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay to run in a by-election

Deputy Whip and MLA Reann Gasper has informed the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia of her decision to step down as MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, creating an opportunity for Conservative Party of British Columbia Leader Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay to seek the seat in a forthcoming by-election. Gasper said the decision was made carefully and deliberately, with the future of British Columbia firmly in mind. Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper “This is a decision I have made after a great deal of careful consideration, and I believe it is the right decision for me, for our Party, and for the work ahead,” said MLA Gasper. “It has been a privilege to represent the people of Abbotsford-Mission, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who placed their trust in me. I am also grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside my colleagues in the Conservative Caucus and to contribute to our leadership team.” “I have confidence in Kerry-Lynne, in her leadership, and in her ability to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more