THREAD: Last Thursday I was admitted to the ER w/ #coronavirus symptoms, including chronic cough, shortness of breath & lung pain. I was given a #COVID19 test and told I’d have the results within 48 hrs. Nearly a week later, I still don’t have the results. 1/N #covid19purgatory
I’d been sick for the better part of 2 weeks and hadn’t gotten better. I went to a walk-in clinic, described symptoms and discussed my history. Someone from an affected country had recently visited my office. 2/N #covid19purgatory
The nurse looked at me and whipped out a #covid19 protocol sheet. After going through every detail, she called a local urgent care clinic to order a chest xray. They said I should go straight to the ER instead. 3/N #covid19purgatory
We called the ER to let them know I was coming. I drove to Howard Co General Hospital and they conducted my intake over the phone while I sat in my car. Put on my mask and come in, they said. 4/N #covid19purgatory
I walked through the ER main entrance. They had already cleared a path for me, straight through the waiting room, past the nurse’s station and into an isolation room. It was around 10:30am last Thursday. 5/N #covid19purgatory
As I waited in isolation, I could see a number of ER staff outside my room, getting ready for whatever was nexts. Someone put a large red STOP sign on my door, as as a warning that I was in isolation. 6/N #covid19purgatory
A nurse entered my room wearing a face shield and mask. She took my vitals. A doctor then entered the room wearing a respirator helmet with its own oxygen supply. He looked like an imperial guard from Star Wars. 7/N #covid19purgatory 
He said they’d put an IV in me, get, run a number of tests, and take an X-ray, before deciding what to do next. 8/N #covid19purgatory
They gave me the IV - third time’s the charm, ouch - stuck swabs so far up my nose I thought it was anatomically impossible, then told me to settle in for a few hours. 9/N #covid19purgatory
One set of tests would take at least four hours. Several times they came in an said it’ll be just a couple more hours. My wife delivered my laptop and snacks; I shrugged on the other side of the glass as she took a pic. A few hours turned into 11 hours. 10/N #covid19purgatory
By 8pm local time - again, this is Howard County, MD, USA - I was told everything had come back negative: Influenza A/B, strep, mono, and a dozen or so other infections. All came back negative. It was time for a #covid19 test. 11/N #covid19purgatory
The nurse - a new one, since there was a shift change - swabbed my throat and nose, then said I’d get a result within 48 hours. Until then, I could go home as long as I stayed in isolation. Thus began my #covidpurgatory odyssey, which still hasn’t ended. 12/N
Back home, I settled in with my wife and kids. We played it safe and kept them out of school on Friday. It’d only be a day if I came back negative, right? 13/N #covid19purgatory
48 hours came and went - no results. I called the ER - they told me to call the MD state health dept. Left a message; they called late Saturday and said they’d heard no results. 14/N #covid19purgatory
Sunday wasn’t any better. Someone from MD health dept called, asking for Dr. Andrews. I said I was a patient, and asked for my results. They weren’t aware of any, and said I should contact the ER instead. I called the ER: no results. 15/N #covid19purgatory
Later on Sunday, someone from the County Health Dept called me back. She said there had been an error, and Howard County General ER had only sent in 1 of 2 samples. She said she’d pick it up the next morning and send it to the lab. No school, kids! 16/N #covid19purgatory
Monday: The kids stay home. My officemates stay home out of an abundance of caution. The lab can’t expedite my results, so the 48 hr clock would start over. Get comfortable, folks. 17/N #covid19purgatory
Tuesday: I call Howard Co health Dept and they confirm there won’t be results, but I could try calling MoCo health dept just in case they heard something. Three calls, three straight to voicemail. I decide to call the ER. 18/N #covid19purgatory
I reach an ER nurse. I ask if she has my results and she tries to transfer me to patient records. I beg her to look up my results. Sounding annoyed, she says I tested *negative* for coronavirus last Thursday. But the math makes no sense. 19/N #covid19purgatory
The nurse insists my #covid19 results came back negative on Thursday, even though I took the test that night and results can take 48 hrs. Back on the phone with Howard County Health Dept. 20/N #covid19purgatory
I reach one of my contacts at Howard County; they seem to know what they’re doing. I describe what the nurse told me and she’s baffled, until she says the nurse probably confused my #covid19 test with a generic #coronavirus test. IN OTHER WORDS... 21/N #covid19purgatory
In other words, an ER nurse ACCIDENTALLY GAVE ME THE ALL-CLEAR. If I hadn’t known to call the public health dept and raise it with them, my family would have walked out the door, thinking we were in the clear. Same with all of my officemates waiting. 22/N #covid19purgatory
My contact in the county public health department sounds horrified. She says she’ll see if she can expedite my test. Tuesday rolls into Wednesday. 23/N #covid19purgatory
Wednesday, ie, today. My kids are at home for the 4th day; same with my work colleagues. We start coordinating homework options with MCPS, while the office settles in for more videoconferencing. 24/N #covid19purgatory
