Vomiting mum told she must join blown out PCR queues even though rapid test was positive
A sick mother who tested positive for Covid in a rapid antigen test was told her only option for treatment was to join the snaking PCR test queues — even though she had vomiting and diarrhoea.
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Highly symptomatic and extremely ill Queenslanders are being told the only way they can get a Covid PCR test is to line up at overwhelmed testing centres, as infectious disease experts warn the snaking queues are a breeding ground for virus spread.
Gold Coast woman Natalie Rittson has had vomiting and diarrhoea, migraine, sore throat and soaring temperatures since Boxing Day and a rapid antigen test has found her positive to Covid.
But the mum has hit brick walls trying to access a PCR test that does not require her to leave her sick bed and line up for as long as five hours or more at a testing clinic.
The 57-year-old, who is double vaccinated, lives with her teenage son who cannot drive and her sister Sam have revealed to The Courier-Mail the “frightening details of the last few days” that has seen Natalie get a”diabolic” run-around from health officials
“The message from every single person has been get yourself to a testing centre, regardless of the fact that she lives alone with her son and is very sick,” Sam Rittson said.
“You would think they wouldn’t want someone with those kind of symptoms at a testing centre or a hospital. It doesn’t make sense.
“Even when the rapid test showed that she was Covid positive, it was still the same message — get out of bed and line up.
“I rang Queensland Health on Tuesday morning to see if I could persuade someone to go to her house to test her but still the same message — go to a testing clinic.”
Professor Robert Booy, an infectious disease expert from the University of Sydney, has warned that the crowds of people gathering at testing clinics is putting more people at risk as symptomatic Queenslanders line up with people who simply need a negative test.
The expert said that Queensland needs to be seriously considering allowing people from interstate to use rapid antigen tests.
“Symptomatic people are turning up for PCR tests and standing for hours in queues adding to the risk of spread to those who are negative. And if people have to wait days for results they are likely to go to the shops for groceries again adding to spread, “ he said
The professor said that there are 15 rapid tests on market and some of them are 90 per cent reliable.
“That’s not far off the 99 per cent rate of the PCR tests. Queensland needs to seriously consider introducing these tests,” he said.
Some testing centres were experiencing four and five hour waits on Monday.
Ms Rittson has called her sister’s case “a diabolic mess”.
On Tuesday the chief health officer John Gerrard told the press conference: “Please only go to the emergency department if you have significant symptoms like breathlessness or chest pain”.
“I know lots of people have stories of not being able to get tested but when someone is feeling very sick surely there should be another option rather than the testing clinics?” she said.
“If she received a positive PCR result then she would likely get the healthcare she needs but that is not happening in a hurry.”
Natalie Rittson first felt unwell on the evening of Boxing Day.
She dragged herself out of bed the next morning and drove herself to a Gold Coast testing centre at 6.30am but was unable to get tested as the clinic was already overwhelmed.
“Queensland Health told my sister to get to the centre before 6am even though it didn’t open until 8am — even then she wasn’t early enough. At another there was a five hour wait but when you are vomiting and have diarrhoea you can’t wait,” Ms Rittson said.
Natalie’s family were so worried about her they called the ambulance.
Natalie claims the paramedics looked after her well but thought it was unlikely that she was so sick with Covid as she had been double vaxxed.
She said that they could not test her and said she could go to the hospital and be treated for her symptoms but not for Covid.
Natalie’s family delivered a rapid antigen test to her home and it came up positive.
She called her GP but there were no telehealth appointments and the receptionist said she should go to a testing clinic.
“Natalie had a feeling she was positive and wanted to minimise any spread. She has been trying hard to do the right thing,” her sister said.
A Queensland Health spokesperson urged anyone seriously ill to phone Triple 0 but said: “The only way to know if you have COVID-19 is to get tested.”
“But if anyone is experiencing serious illness, we urge them to contact triple-0, regardless of whether they suspect they have COVID-19 or not,” the spokesperson said.
“That way they can be assessed and, if required, taken to hospital. It’s important they receive appropriate care at the first instance.”
The Queensland Ambulance Service said that “the patient was assessed by a senior paramedic and was deemed suitable for outpatient therapy”.
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