Sick but negative

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I work at a facility with positive COVID-19 cases. I was screened at the facility when the outbreak began, and was negative. A few days later, I got a low-grade fever, chills and body aches. I got tested again - negative. Stayed out until I had been fever-free for 3 days as recommended. Went back to work. Fever came back. My workplace is pressuring me to return tomorrow if I have no temp even though I am febrile today. My doctor says stay home and get tested again tomorrow. I'm beginning to worry my workplace thinks I'm "not sick enough" to stay home. I understand we are short-staffed, but...really? Ignore the state and CDC guidelines?

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Don’t know what to say besides do not go into work... just my opinion.

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2 hours ago, Panda Girl said:

I work at a facility with positive COVID-19 cases. I was screened at the facility when the outbreak began, and was negative. A few days later, I got a low-grade fever, chills and body aches. I got tested again - negative. Stayed out until I had been fever-free for 3 days as recommended. Went back to work. Fever came back. My workplace is pressuring me to return tomorrow if I have no temp even though I am febrile today. My doctor says stay home and get tested again tomorrow. I'm beginning to worry my workplace thinks I'm "not sick enough" to stay home. I understand we are short-staffed, but...really? Ignore the state and CDC guidelines?

I'm with your Dr.

PS - There were headline articles today surrounding substantive false negatives on the rapid tests ( tho, as I understand it at least, it's at least something of an issue with all of them)

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

It sounds like your facility is interested in bullying a sick nurse. Nice place.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm in kind of the same boat; sick but had a negative test. However, my facility isn't pushing for me to come back. They told me to take as much time as I need to recover.

I'm sorry your facility isn't being supportive. Hope you feel better soon.

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Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.

There has been multiple reports of negative tests - whether due to poor swab technique, when the test was done, etc. I recently read a report where a physician was negative multiple times.....until he died from COVID. If you are sick and especially febrile - don't go into work! Can your physician write a note for a LOA?

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Specializes in Psych.

I agree with speedynurse, if you're feeling sick, don't go in regardless of the Corona test results.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

Due to hours being cut at my hospital, I've been working a lot in our employee health clinic's COVID Command Center doing a lot of return to work type of paperwork. For us, even if you test negative, if your PCP does not clear you to return to work, you can not go back to work.

If you're feeling sick, I wouldn't go in. If they try to push it and argue it, I would keep referring back to documentation from my doctor saying I shouldn't go to work. Maybe even see if he will throw in the phrase "due to employee as well as patient safety" since that seems to always get people to listen.

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3 hours ago, speedynurse said:

There has been multiple reports of negative tests - whether due to poor swab technique, when the test was done, etc. I recently read a report where a physician was negative multiple times.....until he died from COVID. If you are sick and especially febrile - don't go into work! Can your physician write a note for a LOA?

Yes. In the latest Covid FrontLines article here the ICU RN was describing patients exhibiting established covid symptoms and testing negative with the swab assay and then they'd test a bronchoscopy sample and it would be positive.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

I tested negative a month ago while hospitalized and still am not breathing right! Stay home, apply for the federal emergency medical leave, get written instructions from your Dr.... and feel better!

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Thanks, all! My doctor sent a note to my workplace and the discussion ended. It took a total of 11 days before I felt healthy again. Now I'm back at work. It's very sad, seeing all these sick elderly people. Many of them can't understand why their families don't visit anymore.

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I bet this pandemic alters how we feel about going to work when we feel like we’re “coming down with something”. Our coworkers likely won’t stand for it.

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