I tested positive, but I have no symptoms

[firemediceric]

I got called in to work overtime on 6/23 in place of a peer who reported being mildly symptomatic prior to coming in to work. He later tested positive for COVID 19. Subsequently on 6/25 two of the people I worked with, both of who are regulars at that station/crew, became symptomatic and tested positive.


On 7/2 as an entire station/crew (different station from 6/23) was sent home because one of those members was symptomatic and tested positive, I was called in again to fill the overtime. After being at that station for several hours along with a crew which was floated in from another station to provide coverage, I was told by my superior that despite being asymptomatic it was required for me to be tested due to the proximity I had with several crew members who tested positive and time spent in the stations which had positive results for those assigned to those stations.


I went down immediately and received the test getting the results 15 minutes later. I tested positive. I was sent home and told they'd be in touch with me. My superior who is in touch with HR is saying he's not sure how to handle my situation because I am the first member to test positive yet be asymptomatic.


The next day my regular crew were all sent for tests due to their exposure to me for the roughly a week post my exposure to the suspected vector during my overtime. The other crews at my station have also been rotated through for the tests. So far all of their tests have come back as negative.


So I continue to sit at home over the past 3+ days and I still feel fine.

 

[W2R]

Glad you are feeling fine! It must have been scary to have test results like that, though. Take care.

 

[ivinsfan]

Glad you feel fine and in an interesting note it's seems as though a few of the quick read tests might return false positives. The PGA tour seems to be running into this issue when screening for their tournaments.

The PGA has been rescreening the non symptom positives after 24 hours and some are coming back negative.. after 2 or more negatives over 24 hours apart golfers can return to the golf course. food for thought.

I'm sure more protocols will be implemented for situations like yours.

Wishing you continued good health.

 

[Freedom56]

Get yourself re-tested. It may be a false positive.

 

[firemediceric]

The department along with HR is coming up with a protocol of when the test needs to be done again. They will mandate how much time must pass between subsequent tests for those tests to be considered of diagnostic value. I'm waiting to be told on which dates I need to return for the tests.

 

[Rianne]

Let us know in 14 days. You are lucky if that's the case. I believe my DB is asymptomatic. He's never worn a mask and thought from the beginning this was a flu virus. Only when the grocery stores demanded a mask did he wear one. He's been in crowded bars in Wisconsin, will go out to eat (indoors) and has no fear of this virus. He's not been sick one day. I keep thinking of Clint Eastwood's famous line "You've got to ask yourself one question. Do you feel lucky?"

 

[Aerides]

Given your earlier posts, and profession, you appear to be a very healthy guy in your early 50's? So your odds for a very mild or asymptomatic case are good. Of course, you know to quarantine either way to avoid passing it on, until you get a negative result on a retest.

As far as your boss and HR - what are they not sure about? How to code your time? It's sick leave, (imo) regardless of symptoms, as you cannot safely be around anyone else.

Best of luck to just having a boring case that results in no illness and no transmission to others!

 

[firemediceric]

As far as your boss and HR - what are they not sure about? How to code your time? It's sick leave, (imo) regardless of symptoms, as you cannot safely be around anyone else.

Actually how to deal with my time was long figured out. We get 80 hours of COVID benefit time for this type of situation. That applies to any employee regardless of which department they work in. Not really a good fit for us firefighters who don't work the typical 40 hour week.


Once we exceed that 80 hours we draw out of our sick time although I am also told that Worker's Comp comes into play as it's presumed to be a work related exposure. Although at first glance the benefit of the Worker's Comp coverage seems great, Worker's Comp benefits are not pensionable so that will have a negative impact, however slight it may be, on my best salaries that get figured regarding my retirement benefit, which is right around the corner.


What HR and the Chiefs are trying to figure out is when to send me back for the test. For my crew that was exposed to me but are also asymptomatic and have received one negative test on 7/3, they've been instructed to stay home then being re-tested on 7/6 and if negative at that time, again on 7/8. If the 7/6 and 7/8 tests are negative for them, they can return to work on 7/9 so long as they are still asymptomatic.


Because I tested positive but am asymptomatic, that has them scratching their heads.

 

[ivinsfan]

I don't see a problem with testing you on the same schedule as your crew. The department needs to get as much info as possible about false positives so they can protect people yet still take care of emergency situations.

 

[Another Reader]

False positives are very rare. If a PCR is positive, some portion of the RNA strand was detected and in a significant amount.

 

[Music Lover]

Because I tested positive but am asymptomatic, that has them scratching their heads.

The majority of positive people are asymptomatic...it really shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[ivinsfan]

False positives are very rare. If a PCR is positive, some portion of the RNA strand was detected and in a significant amount.

Got some stats for this on the rapid test? We are talking the 15 minutes version.

 

[tmm99]

Sorry to hear that you tested positive but I am glad you are asymptomatic and everyone you had contact with tested negative. Do you have an oxymeter? I would check my oxygen level every day for a while if I were in your situation.

Take care.

 

[Another Reader]

Got some stats for this on the rapid test? We are talking the 15 minutes version.

No, relying on the nature of the PCR test. That test is well known for false negatives, particularly the Abbott version. I did find one report.

https://theworldlink.com/news/local...cle_362a5018-ac67-11ea-a7b1-e3c40dbd50fa.html

ETA: Abbott says their false positive rate is 0.2 percent. This individual was exposed, but a second more reliable follow up test could be done for confirmation.

One of the biggest problems with the testing right now is the use of tests by employers. They really don't understand how to use them. They want to protect their employees, their customers, and the company from both the disease and the liability for not protecting people. Every employer is writing their own rules with little guidance from the CDC or state agencies.

 

[wolf]

OP. Curious. And you are the one who should be able to answer my question.

If a person is "asymptomatic", and tests positive. Does that mean:

1. Eventually, the person will become sick, with covin symptoms.
2. Not become sick, but will eventually test negative.
3. Will not become sick, but will test negative, and have "anti bodies" to covin.

Good luck, and stay healthy.

 

[firemediceric]

OP. Curious. And you are the one who should be able to answer my question.

If a person is "asymptomatic", and tests positive. Does that mean:

1. Eventually, the person will become sick, with covin symptoms.
2. Not become sick, but will eventually test negative.
3. Will not become sick, but will test negative, and have "anti bodies" to covin.

Good luck, and stay healthy.

I’m not sure, but here’s what I think.
1. Since I still am without symptoms, I’m thinking I’ll either start feeling bad or I’ll shake it off without ever knowing I was infected except for the nasal swab test.
2. That’s what I’m hoping for. I’m required to provide two negative tests taken 48 hours apart.
3. No indication that I’ll be offered the antibody test but if it’s offered to me I’d like to know my status.

I’ll be able to give better replies once this plays out for me over the next week or so.

 

[eytonxav]

A player on my softball team's spouse was going in for a knee replacement and needed to be tested. Although she has largely been sheltering in place since March, she tested positive, while my teammate tested negative. His wife had no symptoms. She was retested twice and showed negative. These tests seem very unreliable and can cause significant disruption when wrong. I have also heard the WHO is believing that asymptomatic folks are not as likely to be spreaders as originally thought. There are just no absolutes with this virus. The science up to this point has been disappointing with so much misinformation and slow learning.

 

[sengsational]

Do we know the details of which test was used? Didn't I read that there are tests that show an RNA match with other corona viruses other than sarscov2?


I should know this, but do asymptomatic Covid-19 people end up showing antibodies?

 

[firemediceric]

Do we know the details of which test was used? Didn't I read that there are tests that show an RNA match with other corona viruses other than sarscov2?

The paperwork I was given only says “rapid Covid-19 virus antigen“. Nothing listing anything further about the test.

 

[audreyh1]

A player on my softball team's spouse was going in for a knee replacement and needed to be tested. Although she has largely been sheltering in place since March, she tested positive, while my teammate tested negative. His wife had no symptoms. She was retested twice and showed negative. These tests seem very unreliable and can cause significant disruption when wrong. I have also heard the WHO is believing that asymptomatic folks are not as likely to be spreaders as originally thought. There are just no absolutes with this virus. The science up to this point has been disappointing with so much misinformation and slow learning.

The WHO was really splitting hairs with that statement. First of all they admitted that there was no way to know while contagious, whether someone was going to turn out to be truly asymptomatic. Everyone seems to agree that infected folks become contagious a day or two before showing any symptoms. Second, they admitted that someone can have such very mild symptoms such that they have no idea they are sick (i.e. symptomatic). They also asserted that extremely few people are truly asymptomatic. Finally they admitted that the studies on which this statement had been asserted, were a limited number of contact tracing studies in China and more study was needed. Other scientists pointed out that the conclusion could just as easily be issues with contact tracing.

So, given the huge amounts of spread in the US from pre-symptomatic and apparently asymptomatic folks, there is no practical clinical distinction. And if being truly asymptomatic is very rare, then it’s pointless.

The WHO had to have a conference and claw back their assertions.

 

[audreyh1]

Do we know the details of which test was used? Didn't I read that there are tests that show an RNA match with other corona viruses other than sarscov2?


I should know this, but do asymptomatic Covid-19 people end up showing antibodies?

Yes, but apparently much less that those who get sicker.

 

[lalanian6]

Let us know in 14 days. You are lucky if that's the case. I believe my DB is asymptomatic. He's never worn a mask and thought from the beginning this was a flu virus. Only when the grocery stores demanded a mask did he wear one. He's been in crowded bars in Wisconsin, will go out to eat (indoors) and has no fear of this virus. He's not been sick one day. I keep thinking of Clint Eastwood's famous line "You've got to ask yourself one question. Do you feel lucky?"

I carry myself the same as your DB; I'll tell you why.
I handle all the fit testing, pulmonary function testing, and respirator training for my employer (as well as respirator (and cartridge) selection). Regardless of you may have been told, the 'masks' (which, in reality, are nothing more than cloth rags) do nothing to protect the user, or others.


Social distancing indoors may help avoid exposure...but the 'masks' quite simply do not.

 

[firemediceric]

Update: My original test was 7/2 and I was sent home due to the positive result. I’ve been tested again 7/6 with a test that was a 3 day turn around for results and another 15 min test on 7/8.

Both subsequent test positive results :-(
Still no symptoms.
I’m scheduled for a 15 min test Saturday morning.

 

[braumeister]

For the umpteenth time: No more mask debates.

Thanks for the interesting discussion.