Delay in COVID-19 test results nearly had costly outcome for Nelsonite
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A delay in getting access to COVID-19 testing results nearly cost a Nelson resident their life.
Due to the new criteria surrounding COVID-19 testing a Nelson resident — who asked to not be named — could not get test results in the Heritage city until 72 hours after being symptomatic with shortness of breath and other “COVID-like” symptoms.
However, the 58-year-old vaccinated Nelsonite actually had pulmonary embolisms — blood clots in the lungs, which can be serious and potentially lead to death — that could have been treated days earlier if COVID could have been ruled out. The symptoms of COVID and Pulmonary Embolism have similarities.
According to emedicineHealth, when pulmonary embolisms are left untreated, “the mortality rate is up to 30 per cent but when treated early, the mortality rate is eight per cent.”
“If I could have had my test result earlier of negative COVID I would have sought emergency care earlier,” the Nelson resident told The Nelson Daily. “I have lost total trust in the direction our province has taken with the latest COVID testing criteria. Telling people to ‘just deal with their symptoms’ almost cost me my life.”
Under the new testing criteria, a COVID test does not pre-screen people to let them know they are dealing with something other than the Coronavirus and should go to the emergency room.
Instead, there is up to a three-day wait to obtain the results of the test, a time-frame which is not serving the people, said the former healthcare worker.
“There needs to be a better supply chain or find other vendors if the supply of COVID tests are the issue,” the Nelsonite said.
During the Ebola readiness there wasn’t the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) but the facility at Vernon Jubilee advanced the need to find other vendors for the needed PPE, the resident noted.
“I hope a change back to general public testing is implemented immediately,” the person said.
Unclear response
The provincial ministry of Health and Interior Health Authority (IHA) were both contacted by The Nelson Daily for comment on the length of COVID-19 testing wait times.
The province replied with an automated response: “Unfortunately, due to the high volume of correspondence regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not always possible to respond to every email; however, please be assured that we are listening and we do read every email that is received.”
It also listed medical links and more information on the virus in its email response.
The IHA replied and asked for the person’s name in order to “flag it with our team so they can follow up,” but did not reply further when they were informed the name was being withheld at the person’s request.
A reply to the Nelsonite from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control over the COVID-19 dashboard was also unclear.
“Each health authority has a Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO) with the legislative mandate to receive and respond to questions and concerns regarding the quality of care provided by our programs or services to patients,” the reply stated.
“Guidelines regarding the criteria for who needs to test for Covid is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health (MoH) Patient and Client Relations (PCR) Office.
“I can submit your concerns regarding the Covid Dashboard to the BCCDC as feedback for you.”
Formal complaint
The Nelson resident, who continues to experience pulse levels well above normal, submitted a formal complaint to the Patient Care quality office for Interior Health.
“I have asked (reply) to be sent to all levels within the HA authority that is responding to COVID to understand the affects of the current criteria,” the Nelson resident said. “So it may go up to the Ministry of Health as well as they MOH is directing the policy change in the criteria.
The Nelson resident said there has been no reply received to date.
