A senior woman in Drumheller learned on Easter morning her test for the Coronavirus was negative, but that has led to more questions on the testing procedure in Drumheller.
Last week Linde Turner began showing mild symptoms of a typical cold, with a runny nose, a raspy throat, a mild cough, and some dizziness. She also had a recurrence of conjunctivitis that was not responding to antibiotics.
This coupled along with her age and other immunity conditions made her a higher risk.
When she entered her information into the Alberta online self-assessment, it recommended she be tested.
She was contacted by the health authority and she was told for testing she needed to go to Red Deer. She refused.
“I just said no, I’m not going,” she said.
“When I questioned it, they said it was more efficient for personnel if somebody was to drive there, but if somebody was not well, to drive that length of time and have to gas up and maybe have a meal. If you have somebody else with you and it was a positive test, it did not seem like a very efficient thing to do given the situation we are in. It does not seem congruent with the health directive we are receiving.”
She also notes Drumheller has a fine facility capable of doing the work.
‘We have a perfectly good public health system here,” she said. “I knew they had done testing at the penitentiary, and I knew they had some testing at Continuing Care, so I knew it was possible to test in Drumheller.”
Communications director for AHS Central Zone Heather Kipling explains there are three assessment centres established in the central zone for testing, in Red Deer, Camrose, and Lloydminster. These sites are not open to the public, only to those who are referred by Health Link. AHS determines the most appropriate location for the testing, based on demand and resources in any given community.
She said all three of the sites currently operating are a drive-thru style, which enables those who have been referred by Health Link for testing to simply drive to one of these locations, and get swabbed by a public health nurse through their car window.
“Once they’ve been swabbed, they then drive home and self-isolate until they get their results back. Across the Central Zone AHS also continues to provide testing in-home where needed, if a client is homebound, to ensure testing is completed rapidly for those who are eligible,” said Kipling, adding some medical clinics also have some resources to complete swabbing on physician order.
Turner was impressed with the care she received at the local hospital.
“I could not have been happier with the care I got at the Drumheller Health unit,” said Turner describing her experience.
When triage agreed she could be tested in Drumheller, they called Turner and were able to make arrangements to take a swab within 15 minutes. Turner was able to pull up to the side of the facility. A nurse in full protective equipment was able to come to her car door to take a swab. The whole process was complete in a matter of a minute.
This was last Thursday, and on Easter morning, she received a call telling her the test was negative.
She wanted to bring this issue to light because of concerns for others, particularly seniors.
“I am in a very vulnerable age, and I live in a seniors building. There are 24 occupied units, and everybody is over 60 and probably every single person has some kind of health issue and that’s what pushed me into a self assessment,” she said. “Everything together made me realize it would be irresponsible not to take the precautions where I am living because it is a matter of life and death.”
She also notes how important it is for people to know to do the self assessment online, “and if you are asked to go to Lloydminster, Camrose or Red Deer you can say no.”
