My son was admitted to the hospital - they think its Covid - He had 2 negative Covid tests

[tulipsandroses]

Backstory - My son is in his twenties, healthy, no underlying health conditions.

About 2 weeks ago he started coughing. No other symptoms. A few days later I noticed he was sleeping a lot more, I remember Mayor Bottoms saying that was what she first noticed about her husband, he was sleeping a lot. I bought a pulse ox- His O2 Sat was low-92-93. I told him you need to get tested. Recalling an article I read about silent Hypoxia- People with Covid having low O2 sat but no difficulty breathing. He wasn't having any difficulty breathing. He kept saying "I'm fine mom". Kept saying he did not want to go to the ER because it was a hot spot for Covid. Sigh. A few more days go by and his cough is getting worse, O2 sat is even lower 89-91. I put my foot down and said YOU ARE GOING!!! -
That was last Saturday. He went to the ER. They did a battery of tests including COVID which came back negative. They diagnosed with respiratory failure and said it was asthma. I thought ok weird, he never had asthma before. But anything is possible. One can get Asthma as an adult. Besides other family members have asthma. They sent him home with an inhaler, steroids and antibiotics and to follow up with an Asthma clinic and PCP.

He saw the PCP a few days ago, she said she did not think it was Asthma, more likely Bronchitis. Gave him more steroids.

Yesterday He just did not look well. I said we need to go back to the ER. Again he refused. He is so damn stubborn! O2 sat was still low in the morning 91. PCP had said it would be low until he recovered. Well by the evening it was 84-85 and he was feeling weak and HE wanted to go to the ER at that point so I know he was feeling really awful if he wanted to go.

Covid test was again negative yesterday. They admitted him

He sends me a text this morning and said they told him despite the negative tests, they think its Covid.

One of the most frustrating things in all of this. Having to leave him at the ER twice. Since they are not letting anyone in besides the person being treated. And now that he has been admitted, not being able to visit.

Wear the damn mask people and stay the fuck home!

[underpants]

1. I'm so sorry to hear this

The alone part was what I was most dreading with our family member. She’s the opposite - still testing positive but they let her go home because of no symptoms and it having been more than 2 weeks.

[tavernier]

2. So sorry, but glad he is in hospital

and diagnosed with possible Covid, so now they can start more aggressive treatment with meds that have been quite successful. stay strong and report back... my grandson is 19, so my heart is with you!

[livetohike]

3. Positive thoughts for your son that he will return home soon.

I hope he feels better today.

[DFW]

4. Covid could well have a few more mutations than is generally acknowledged

I think you are being very sensible about this (and your son is not).

Negative test or not, what you are describing not only walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it has a girlfriend named Daisy and an uncle named Scrooge.

[Maggiemayhem]

24. This'

[RhodeIslandOne]

54. We're supposed to trust doctors though

They’ve been telling him it’s something else. Two different things in two visits. Madness.

[hlthe2b]

5. I'll be thinking of you and your son.

Wishing you both the very best.

[Native]

6. I can't even imagine how hard this must be for you!

Please keep us updated and know that you and your son are in our prayers and thoughts.

[Chemisse]

7. I keep reading/hearing about negative tests

With regards to people who have clear Covid symptoms. If there is a high false negative rate, the doctors need to acknowledge that and not put so much faith in the results.

I hope your son fares well. At least he is now being treated.

[bullimiami]

25. They couldnt even get tests right. Rushed through. Poor (no) oversight. How about those vaccines?

[JudyM]

34. Congregate care facilities' weekly tests and temperature-taking of staff is thin protection

for those vulnerable residents with weak immune systems. Yet they tout it like it’s so cutting edge.

They should all be upgrading and amping up their air handling systems with HEPA filtration, at a minimum. Visitors outdoors only, though this will get tough when winter rolls in. Everyone taking immune boosting supplements like elderberry and encouraged to exercise more.

The more we coddle, the more deaths, ironically.

[Lars39]

8. X-rays and MRIs would show it.

[Demsrule86]

9. I am so sorry...prayer and good vibes for you and your son.

My brother had Covid and survived as did my sister in law.

[wendyb-NC]

10. Sorry to hear that. That's so scary.

Sending positive thoughts , vibrations for him, for health, may his total being beat the virus back, and that he has a quick complete recovery. Hugs and positive thoughts, and energetic vibrations, for you too. Take good care of yourself, but I know it's hard not to be there at his side. I echo your sentiments on the business as usual people. Take care.

[niyad]

11. Prayers and healing vibes for your son.

[onecaliberal]

12. Healing vibes to your son. I'm so sorry this is happening.

[Illumination]

13. You both have been through a lot. Sounds like a real roller coaster ride Prayers to you &

your son!

[FailureToCommunicate]

14. Not being allowed to "be there," when our loved ones need us by their side, totally sucks...

Our son, also young and otherwise healthy, got the symptoms over a month ago. They first thought it was "just bronchitis" but when he got the other classic symptoms, loss of taste and smell, he went again to be tested. He tested positive for Covid.

He stopped having symptoms, and was wanting to go back to work (health clinic near Dallas) but each week, after the "awful brain piercing test", it kept coming back positive.

Finally, 5 weeks and as many tests later, he tested negative.

Still, though, as good and thorough as he said the test site was, it is all largely unregulated. Are the tests accurate, to be trusted? It's all a bit of the wild west.

Holding out hope for your son, for speedy recovery.

Not being able to be with them sucks.

[sarge43]

15. Good thoughts and vibes for you and your son.

Please keep us posted.

[live love laugh]

16. I hope he gets better and soon. nt

[Dopers_Greed]

17. I've heard a lot of similar stories

People are having significant symptoms but still testing negative.

Must be a problem with testing.

[chia]

18. My mom's heart goes out to yours, I have a son in his 20s also and can imagine how much I'd worry

about your son. I hope he's soon well and back home, and if he does indeed have it, please look out for yourself too, take good care of yourself.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

19. Thanks for sharing your story. Will you need to do contact tracing?

I hope you're watching yourself closely and consider getting tested.

I'm high risk and just my 35YO son lives with me. I live in fear one of us will be exposed despite our best precautions, with minimal trips anywhere.

Best wishes and DU hugs to you and your son. I hope he's home soon with no complications. We all need to hear stories like this to remind us of how elusive and dangerous this virus really is.


KY........

[mommymarine2003]

20. I hope your son will be okay.

My 34-year-old son has the same symptoms. He was just tested yesterday and is supposed to get the results on Monday. Last week when we did our family zoom, he said he has had a bad cough for 3 weeks and is so tired he needs a nap every day. He is trying to work at home but does have to go into his office a couple days a week. He and his 6-year-old are both asthmatics, so I am worried. He works for a fire department (though not as a firefighter) for a major city, He said there have been a quite of few of them testing positive. He wears a mask all the time and tries to be careful.

Please let us know how your son is doing.

[mountain grammy]

21. Hoping for a complete recovery..soon.

[raccoon]

22. Hope he has a speedy recovery. Nt

[Solly Mack]

23. I'm so sorry, tulipsandroses.

Keep us posted. Hoping for the best.

[marble falls]

26. "Wear the damn mask people and stay the fuck home!" would look good in needlepoint.

[crickets]

27. I hope your son recovers and is home again soon.

Kudos to you for being such a good mom and staying on top of this.

[panader0]

28. I hope your son makes a complete recovery soon.

The thing that really bugs me is the unreliability of testing. Like DFW said above, the virus has mutations.
Still, there seems to be no standard test. Many tests are 50/50 positive/negative. That proves nothing.
You may as well flip a coin.

[bluestarone]

29. Thinking of you and your family here!

HOPE all goes well for your son! You take care as well!

[malaise]

30. This is awful

I hope they're wrong

[Frustratedlady]

31. Strong thoughts and prayers heading your way.

As a great-grandmother, I feel your stress and concern. Not being able to be with him makes the situation even more frustrating.

I hope he comes through this quickly and has no lasting effects.

Take care of yourself, as well.

[DarthDem]

32. I'm very, very sorry for your son and hope he feels better soon.

I'm so glad you were there to make sure he got help. You sound like a wonderful mom. Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery.

[people]

33. Your son

Hoping you are able to talk to him in the hospital and that the hospital will be giving you updates on how he is doing. Hope he's out of there in a few days and is much better within the next 2 weeks. Take care and glad they have admitted him.

[madashelltoo]

35. Prayer

Father, please add my prayer to all who plead for healing for this young man. Please make Your presence obvious in this situation. Heal, restore and encourage in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[BradBo]

36. No home.

What are you going to do if you get kicked out of your home or apartment because you have no job.

[AllyCat]

41. Enjoy your stay!

[MontanaMama]

37. I'm thinking of you and your son...

Hoping for a full recovery. This is a nightmare. We can’t get tests and the tests we can get are often faulty. I can’t believe this is our America now.

[helpisontheway]

38. I'm so sorry. Praying for your son! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽Nt

[murielm99]

39. I am sorry. I hope

his outcome is good and he is healthy again.

[AllyCat]

40. Work in a hospital. We are now hearing that the tests we administer

to patients and staff who are symptomatic are only 70% accurate. That is not acceptable. Hospital refusing the results of tests administered at the free community site that we have heard are 85% accurate. So bummed right now. Testing isn't going to help if we don't have accurate numbers.

I hope your son does well. I am so sorry you are all going through this preventable tragedy.

[Duppers]

47. You're right, 70% accuracy is not acceptable.

Wishing you good luck.

[pandr32]

42. I sure hope he will be fine

I am sure you are stressed to the max. My heart hurts for both of you.

[tulipsandroses]

43. Thank you all for your kind words and support

Not only do I have a sense of dread, I am angry. More angry than ever at Trump and his minions.
There is so much about that illness that we do not know. Instead of relying on science and data, we had this ignoramus touting nonsense. Had we taken this seriously from the beginning, we may not be in the predicament we are in right now as a country.

My sister and niece were supposed to visit this week from GA. So that's been cancelled.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

44. My first question is to ask "What is the false negative rate for that test?"

I have heard some shockingly high numbers, such as 30%. Similarly high false positives, also. However, no one talks about that anymore.

[pnwmom]

46. There ARE high false negatives on the rapid tests, but there are NOT high false positives

on either test. So if you test positive, you're almost certainly positive.

But if you test negative, it might be a false result and you may need to be tested again.

[BGBD]

50. this

the rapid tests are garbage. I read in one place a 50% false negative rate.

[TexasBushwhacker]

62. Yes. The COVID tests really need to be done correctly

The "braintickler" one, where they put the swab WAAAAAAY up you nose is the most accurate, and even it has false negatives. Actor Nick Cordero had 2 negative tests before he finally tested positive. Healing hugs for your son.

[pnwmom]

64. The type of swab isn't what makes it less accurate. It's rapid tests that get the false negatives,

even if they use the long swabs.

Here in King County, WA, they use short swabs for the SCAN testing, and they've been shown to be accurate. But they're not rapid or instant tests.

[Hekate]

45. I'm so sorry to hear this. All the best to your son & the rest of the family.

[Duppers]

48. Sending cyber hugs!

Thanks for posting this.

Bookmarking because your post about your son's experience may save lives. (I've a very stubborn 33yo son.)

Wishing your son a full recovery. Stay safe yourself & keep us posted.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

49. Best wishes for a full recovery. Let us know...

🤗 hugs tulipsandroses

[sheshe2]

51. Sending positive energy your way, tulipsandroses.

[SunSeeker]

52. Wishing you and your son the best.

I'm sorry you're going through this.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

53. Wishing your son well. Not only are tests hard to get sometimes, but often too many false negatives.

[LisaM]

55. I bought an oximeter. Glad I did.

It's good that you checked.and checked it. I have heard stories of people getting down into the 60s.

[cayugafalls]

56. Sorry to hear this and sending good thoughts your way for a speedy recovery.

[Marthe48]

57. Sending healing energy

So scary for you

[spanone]

58. ...

☮️?️

[lunatica]

59. Hugs to you and all the family

[blogslut]

60. I hope he heals quickly

My thoughts are with you.

[SheltieLover]

61. Healing vibes on the way 💗💗💗

I hope he is better very soon!

[W_HAMILTON]

63. Sounds a lot like my situation, except my oxygen numbers haven't dipped that low for that long.

And I just come off having slept for literally like 24 hours and still not wanting to get up an do anything.

Has he lost his sense of smell/taste yet? I usually have problems with allergies, sinuses, etc. and that was a big change for me and one of the symptoms that prompted my doctor to have me tested (I began having symptoms almost three weeks ago, tested positive about one week ago, and have still been battling to get better, even though I do feel a little better than I did back during that second week right before I tested positive).

[Lars39]

67. Hope you have a full and speedy recovery

W_HAMILTON!

[Control-Z]

65. I'm so sorry to hear this news, tulipsandroses.

I hope your son recovers quickly. I know the medications and treatments the hospital can now offer are greatly improved. Keep us updated? You and your son will be in my thoughts.

[kpete]

66. So sorry

hoping you get good news soon
kp

[Lars39]

68. tulipsandroses, any update?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

69. How's he doing today?

[MustLoveBeagles]

70. Best wishes for your son

I hope he makes a quick recovery

[Buckeye_Democrat]

71. O2 level in the 80's is pretty bad. No wonder he felt horrible!

I'm so sorry about your son! The very best wishes to him and you!

To hell with those irresponsible Trump-cultists who keep endangering everyone!

[orleans]

72. i've got both of you in my heart and my thoughts tonight

what a horrible, frustrating, and frightening situation you're in.



now i want *you* to go get tested.

[tulipsandroses]

73. I really appreciate all your well wishes. I've been Face Timing with him

This morning he said he felt better. He's getting oxygen and his O2 sat this morning with oxygen is 96% so big improvement!

He's being treated for pneumonia. Which he did not have last week when we went to the ER the first time. They did a chest X-Ray last week and it was clear. So it seems that developed over the last week, despite the antibiotics that they had discharged him with.


Here's the article that I read regarding silent hypoxia - I re-read it this morning. It seems that my son fit the pattern this doctor described. He even mentioned that Covid Test could be negative.

I'm posting so that this information may help another family the way it helped us.

All persons with cough, fatigue and fevers should also have pulse oximeter monitoring even if they have not had virus testing, or even if their swab test was negative, because those tests are only about 70 percent accurate.

[link:https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-testing-pneumonia.html|

[crickets]

74. I am so glad to hear your son is feeling better!

Thanks for checking back in to let us know, and for passing on such vital information. Hang in there, tulipsandroses. We're all pulling for you and your son.

[Lars39]

75. I'm glad you got to "see" him and that he's feeling better!

It takes a while (3 months or so is what my doctor told me), to get over pneumonia. The fatigue can seem relentless.

[totodeinhere]

76. I wish your son a quick and complete recovery.

But it's very frustrating that apparently some people can get tested and have false negatives. They really need to be working on these tests to improve their accuracy. And there are false positives also.