Coronavirus: Gold Coast parents angry sick Ashmore State School principal Karen Brown was not eligible for COVID-19 testing

Parents of Coast school students are furious a sick principal was ineligible for COVID-19 testing. Meanwhile, a mum is also petitioning to have her ill daughter tested.

SOME parents at Ashmore State School are furious their principal was ineligible for testing for COVID-19, despite displaying flu-like symptoms.

Parents received an email this week from unwell and absent principal Karen Brown explaining she had a sore throat and other flu/cold symptoms. Mrs Brown presented to the fever clinic at the Gold Coast University Hospital on advice from 13 Health, but said she was deemed “ineligible for testing for COVID-19 as I did not fall into any of the high-risk groups”.

“They also affirmed that I probably have a common cold or other flu-like condition and recommend contact with my GP and self-care at home until all symptoms subside,” she said.

Concerns were raised the virus has been “sweeping through the community and no one knows”.

One parent told the Bulletin: “The fact that she had the exact symptoms and was still found to be ineligible for testing for COVID-19 as she did not fall into any of the high-risk groups, such as having been overseas etc, is outrageous given that she’s a school principal.”

Mrs Brown told parents in an email that she was not in isolation and would likely to be cleared to return to work next week.

Queensland Teachers Union boss Kevin Bates said he empathised with parents and understood it was of “very high importance but reality is the priority has to go to people more likely to have the virus. It’s about the government managing the limited resources available”.

The news follows concerns from a Gold Coast mother, Sarah Billings, who started a petition to get her three-year-old daughter Halo tested for the virus, after she was diagnosed with an unknown viral illness that has caused respiratory distress.

Halo Billings, 3, has not been tested for coronavirus despite being diagnosed with an unknown virus causing respiratory distress. Picture: Supplied.

Despite displaying all the symptoms and visiting the emergency room twice after travelling on domestic flights 13 days ago she is yet to be tested.

“I understand there are strict protocols in place right now because the whole world needs these test kits, but how can someone who has symptoms in every single category not be tested for the virus?

“I am at a loss to why there is no room for exceptions.”

The family has since self-isolated at home after Halo was released from hospital.

A Queensland Health Spokesman said they were unable to comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality.