Covid, Doctor and cold/flu symptoms

[Whiskey 7]

Am I missing something here?

My Wife has been crook with for near a week with cold/flu like symptoms.

With no community Covid transmissions here for some time now we put off having a Covid test at the local hospital drive through but we drove through yesterday where they tested my Wife but not me. Go figure !

The drive through was very quiet….

Covid test result last night by text message, negative and I still have no symptoms.

So today I telephone the clinic of our regular Doctor to make an appointment as she is getting no better. To my astonishment I am told they won’t see or even allow patients with flu like symptoms in the clinic despite a negative Covid test!

What am I missing?

Short is they booked a telephone consultation at 1215 today.

[menkent]

What country is this in? Oz?

[Whiskey 7]

Hello menkent, yes born & bred Australian and proud of it.
We have been so lucky regards Covid and I feel for those suffering.

Doctor just called, suggests it is going bacterial? He's written a prescription without seeing the patient. Seems weird to me, then, maybe I need a T shirt

[Transient]

It doesn't seem strange to me to get a phone consultation, all things considered. Then again, even a bad case of the common cold can be dangerous for seniors. I hope she gets well soon, Whiskey!

[Whiskey 7]

Thanks Transient.

So you have Doctor telephone consultations where you're at?

Maybe it was the tone or the way the female staff member answering the phone said they don't see sick people in the clinic. It just got my goat up quickly today.

[vesp]

UK (Scotland) phone consultations are still the norm for first contact, pretty sure they wouldn't want to take us in with flu even if it's non-covid. We've had a couple of minor prescriptions filled out for the kids over the last year just from phone calls.

Sounds like regular front-desk GP staff attitude to be honest!

[Κracus]

Gotta think of it from their perspective, if you pass a cold/flu to a worker then they have to shut down their whole operation for weeks even if it isn't covid. Just having cold/flu symptoms is enough to cause a panick and spreading it to anyone causes them to have to take off work, maybe not get paid for weeks, businesses shut down etc... Passing on a cold or flu can be financially devastating right now for most individuals.

[Eraser]

I've got a nasty flu as well as my girlfriend and daughter. All three of us got tested and it's not covid.
I'm still surprised that all the measures I take against getting covid, the common flu still managed to sneak into my system somehow.

[Don Carlos]

Sorry to hear that, Whiskey. I hope everything is OK.

I've got a nasty flu as well as my girlfriend and daughter. All three of us got tested and it's not covid.
I'm still surprised that all the measures I take against getting covid, the common flu still managed to sneak into my system somehow.

I was saying on Discord that I haven't had a cold or anything like that in over a year (not that I was ever prone to them anyway) because I haven't really been in contact with anyone outside of my household.

[Transient]

Yeah, same here. Makes you wonder if you got it a while back and never knew it because you were asymptomatic. :paranoid:

[Whiskey 7]

Thanks for the responses. The Mrs is now on antibiotics for a bacterial lung infection diagnosed over a voice telephone call I still wonder but if it happens elsewhere about the planet, well......

Say, I didn't mention on that call, the reception staff said no surgeries/clinics are permitting sick people to attend. In disbelief, I called my previous Doctor/clinic and asked the question..

Me
"Hello. I was a patient there about two years ago and changed my Doctor at the request of my Wife. I have a question without notice and I wonder if you'd entertain an answer?"

Receptionist
"What's the question?"

Me
"Would you allow my Wife to attend and see any Doctor even though she has cold/flu symptoms, now for a week? There's no worry re Covid as she had the test just yesterday and it came back negative. She is pretty crook and I really think she should see a Doctor and maybe get something to fight it off."

Receptionist
"Yes, that's no problem..... etc..."

I ended, saying I'd get back to them if needed after a promised telephone consultation.

So in closing the topic Covid, Doctor and cold/flu symptoms, I'll just say we're living in extraordinary times