Doctors (rant) - updated

[disneychrista]

I have strep. Waited to go to the doctor until my scheduled appointment this morning vs going to Urgent Care because my throat was getting better. Over the course of the past week as my throat was getting better I developed a worsening cough and stuffy/runny nose with sneezing. On Saturday I woke up with what I assumed was pink eye in both eyes. I tested negative for COVID on Thursday, Saturday & today but the doctor said to assume I have COVID (?).

It is really really frustrating that due to COVID, I had to wait 5 days to get into the doctor for treatment. Today is day 9 since I first developed symptoms. I did learn my lesson though. I should of just trusted my instincts and just gone to Urgent Care when I couldn't get into see my regular doctor, who I didn't even actually see.

 

[HeatherC]

I have strep. Waited to go to the doctor until my scheduled appointment this morning vs going to Urgent Care because my throat was getting better. Over the course of the past week as my throat was getting better I developed a worsening cough and stuffy/runny nose with sneezing. On Saturday I woke up with what I assumed was pink eye in both eyes. I tested negative for COVID on Thursday, Saturday & today but the doctor said to assume I have COVID (?).

It is really really frustrating that due to COVID, I had to wait 5 days to get into the doctor for treatment. Today is day 9 since I first developed symptoms. I did learn my lesson though. I should of just trusted my instincts and just gone to Urgent Care when I couldn't get into see my regular doctor, who I didn't even actually see.

I’m so glad you finally got answers! Hopefully, you will be feeling good in no time at all. This whole Covid thing is such a nightmare for any kind of health issues nowadays. Having to wait five days is ridiculous.

 

[DLgal]

I have strep. Waited to go to the doctor until my scheduled appointment this morning vs going to Urgent Care because my throat was getting better. Over the course of the past week as my throat was getting better I developed a worsening cough and stuffy/runny nose with sneezing. On Saturday I woke up with what I assumed was pink eye in both eyes. I tested negative for COVID on Thursday, Saturday & today but the doctor said to assume I have COVID (?).

It is really really frustrating that due to COVID, I had to wait 5 days to get into the doctor for treatment. Today is day 9 since I first developed symptoms. I did learn my lesson though. I should of just trusted my instincts and just gone to Urgent Care when I couldn't get into see my regular doctor, who I didn't even actually see.

Why would you have to assume you have covid? Just get a PCR test done.

Sorry you have strep, but at least you have a diagnosis and presumably, meds. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[disneychrista]

Why would you have to assume you have covid? Just get a PCR test done.

I don't get the assume your positive either. Especially when he said it was okay to go to work, just wear a mask, distance, etc. That made no sense at all. I did get a PCR test done. Still waiting on the results from Thursday, Saturdays & Todays. Hopefully Thursday PCR will come through today. They are taking 4 -6 days to process right now. I think that is why he said to assume I am positive. It is also why I keep getting rapid tests done.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think that is why he said to assume I am positive.

Glad you found out it was at least strep even if well you still had strep

As to the above yes I believe the going advice is to assume you have it unless tests come back negative. Generally it's been said if you test negative on rapid tests done multiple times over the course of several days (at least 24 hours in between but up to 48 hours in between basically do serial testing) it's been considered to be more of a either too low of a viral load to pick it up or you don't have it. But it has been said if you have a negative on a rapid test you can also do a PCR to confirm results. If the rapid was positive generally don't have to do a PCR, just assume positive.

Hopefully yours is negative though

 

[China Expat]

We had a case today....student tested negative at 9 am on a rapid, notified 7 hours later positive on the PCR test!

 

[piglet1979]

My DD was sick for 3 weeks. Started just before New Years. We did 3 at home tests and 1 PCR test. Test Wednesday, Friday, Sat (PCR) and Monday. All were negative. We saw the doctor 3 times. All her symptoms were consistent with COVID. She did get a sinus infection at the tail end too. When talking to the doctor at the last appointment he said that she either had a funky virus or she had Covid and never tested positive. There is no way of knowing since she has been vaccinated. I think they are just trying to say, if you have symptoms whether you test positive or not you treat it like it is Covid. Which at this point means stay home while you have symptoms and/or 5 days.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We had a case today....student tested negative at 9 am on a rapid, notified 7 hours later positive on the PCR test!

With omicron it can be like that. Coming down to hours

 

[Christine]

With omicron it can be like that. Coming down to hours

Yep. My daughter learned her roommate was positive for COVID on Wednesday. He had 3 negative rapids first. My daughter was asymptomatic on Wednesday but did a rapid test. Negative. Went to bed Wednesday night, woke up in the middle of the night with a sore throat, test less than 24 hours later and was positive. The rapids will only pick up when there's enough virus in the nose.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yep. My daughter learned her roommate was positive for COVID on Wednesday. He had 3 negative rapids first. My daughter was asymptomatic on Wednesday but did a rapid test. Negative. Went to bed Wednesday night, woke up in the middle of the night with a sore throat, test less than 24 hours later and was positive. The rapids will only pick up when there's enough virus in the nose.

Well that's the same for the PCR and has always been the same even with prior variants. It's why the conversation was about viral load.

The issue with omicron is really it's faster than other variants. Testing basically needs to be slightly earlier than with Delta (which they are coming to realize more and more) and more robust (as in multiple testing). No longer can you rely on just 1 pcr test or just 1 rapid test. Rapid tests also work best when you have symptoms. I believe the last stat I heard was 70-90% effective if you have symptoms and about 50% effective if you don't. The conversations with rapid tests need to include variance for if you do or don't have symptoms.

My mother-in-law has covid, her husband tested negative on a rapid and a PCR test. A few days ago tested again on both and was positive.





They are also thinking that saliva tests may be better than nasal for omicron but they are just continuing to look into it. I prefer the saliva personally, just an issue with collecting enough...well saliva but much easier to do.

 

[ronandannette]

I have strep. Waited to go to the doctor until my scheduled appointment this morning vs going to Urgent Care because my throat was getting better. Over the course of the past week as my throat was getting better I developed a worsening cough and stuffy/runny nose with sneezing. On Saturday I woke up with what I assumed was pink eye in both eyes. I tested negative for COVID on Thursday, Saturday & today but the doctor said to assume I have COVID (?).

It is really really frustrating that due to COVID, I had to wait 5 days to get into the doctor for treatment. Today is day 9 since I first developed symptoms. I did learn my lesson though. I should of just trusted my instincts and just gone to Urgent Care when I couldn't get into see my regular doctor, who I didn't even actually see.

Couldn’t they at least have called you in a prescription for antibiotics? I hope you didn’t suffer too much. The times I’ve had strep it’s completely knocked me on my butt.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Couldn’t they at least have called you in a prescription for antibiotics? I hope you didn’t suffer too much. The times I’ve had strep it’s completely knocked me on my butt.

When my sister-in-law had strep in December they only gave her antibiotics after enough time had passed. I think there's a bit more reluctance to give antibiotics if your body can clear it on its own due to our growing resistance to treatments over the years but if you were in really bad shape I can't imagine not giving one if they could.

 

[Micca]

Sounds like a miserable experience Christa. Strep is bad enough, no one needs any additional aggravation over getting treated, Hope you start feeling better ASAP

 

[disneychrista]

Couldn’t they at least have called you in a prescription for antibiotics? I hope you didn’t suffer too much. The times I’ve had strep it’s completely knocked me on my butt.

As soon as I said I had a sore throat they’d said we can only see you on a COVID clinic days. I was pretty sure at that point, it was strep not COVID but it didn’t matter. I fell okay as long as I’m not doing anything. But as soon as I get up to do anything it exhausts me. I have a feeling it isn’t going to take me a awhile to get back to 100%.

 

[kymom99]

Untreated strep can lead to serious complications

 

[disneychrista]

Update #2

Well Monday I woke up with a slight sore throat and when I checked my throat, there was ONE white patch on my right tonsil. Today my tonsils are spotted with white patches. I am still on the antibiotics, my last dose is tonight. I also got an email from the doctor yesterday that the strep culture actually came back negative. I am feeling fine, other than the slight sore throat, but now have a sour taste coming from the back of my throat. I have an appointment for a following up on Friday morning.

Got a rapid COVID test and it was negative. PCR results, which thankfully are having a quicker turn around, will likely be ready on Friday.

 

[Micca]

Good luck on Friday Christa, you've been through enough. Hope they can fix you up!

 

[disneychrista]

Some people (1 in 5) are colonized with strep and will always test positive on a rapid test, even without an active infection.

I think I might be one of these people. For the second time the rapid test came back positive but the culture came back negative.

 

[DLgal]

I think I might be one of these people. For the second time the rapid test came back positive but the culture came back negative.

So, the good news about this is, your sore throat is likely just viral and will go away eventually. This is how it always plays out with my son. Your immune system will kick it.

HOWEVER, it is worth exploring whether this is a fungal infection as well. The white patches can be thrush. Your doctor can swab for a fungal infection as well. Sometimes you just get a candida overgrowth.

 

[Wendy1985]

Untreated strep can lead to serious complications

do not get me started had such a bad case in 2014 if you looked at my face you would think I had a tooth infection the nurse looked in my mouth said she already knows it is strep however she still had to give me the test