Does your health care provider ask for COVID19 test before a visit?

[NCGrandma]

Recently I was talking to a family member who had just had a COVID19 test (negative!). No symptoms, no probable exposures, but she was having a follow-up visit with her pulmonologist to do more pulmonary function testing, and that practice required a COVID19 test before the visit. They did do the testing at the pulmonologist's office but it required a 3-5 day lead time before her appointment for results.

Given the nature of the tests, that seemed reasonable to me, but it raised a broader question of whether many/most physicians are requesting this. Have any of you encountered this? If so, with primary care or only certain specialists?




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[o_mom]

Recently I was talking to a family member who had just had a COVID19 test (negative!). No symptoms, no probable exposures, but she was having a follow-up visit with her pulmonologist to do more pulmonary function testing, and that practice required a COVID19 test before the visit. They did do the testing at the pulmonologist's office but it required a 3-5 day lead time before her appointment for results.

Given the nature of the tests, that seemed reasonable to me, but it raised a broader question of whether many/most physicians are requesting this. Have any of you encountered this? If so, with primary care or only certain specialists?

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We have not had any providers ask for this for an office visit, but pre-surgery/procedures seems to be the norm here.

IIRC, pulmonary function testing requires some deep breathing and forced exhale. That would probably be a bigger risk that a simple exam.

[doberbrat]

My mother is going to her sister's for a week 2h away from her house (dont even get me started!!!) She's going to have dialysis near the sister and they asked for a covid19 test first. Not sure what the point is since they are a chain of dialysis centers and fairly close in proximity but that's their policy.

Would totally make sense for a pulmonologist to request it. I'm surprised they do it in the office though. I'd have thought they'd make you do it off-site to try to ensure no one brought the germs in....

[NCGrandma]

Would totally make sense for a pulmonologist to request it. I'm surprised they do it in the office though. I'd have thought they'd make you do it off-site to try to ensure no one brought the germs in....

Actually, I’m not positive that the test was literally done in the pulm office. There may be a lab in the same medical complex. The only thing I’m sure of is that the pulm office made all the arrangements and just told her when/where to have the test done.


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[PunkyBoo]

We have had several medical/dental appointments and none required testing. (None were pulmonary though).
But if you think about this in the strictest sense, it's pointless. Patient gets test, gets results (best case) 3, days later. Then can go to appointment. But there's no telling that they may have been exposed AFTER being tested but BEFORE getting the results.

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[carolinamama]

It may be the nature of the specialty. Pulmonologists will mainly see people who have respiratory problems. Instead of determining who should be tested prior to their appointments (new-onset or increasing cough or shortness of breath) practices may see an across the board policy as safer. Obviously testing isn't a guarantee.

[PZMommy]

We have had several medical/dental appointments and none required testing. (None were pulmonary though).
But if you think about this in the strictest sense, it's pointless. Patient gets test, gets results (best case) 3, days later. Then can go to appointment. But there's no telling that they may have been exposed AFTER being tested but BEFORE getting the results.

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When my dad had to get a covid test prior to a medical procedure, he was told he needed to quarantine after taking the test until the morning of his procedure. He followed the rules, but I’m sure not all do.

[scrooks]

My MIL needs a covid test prior to surgery but both she and my FIL have had a ton of doc appointments during all of this and neither has had to have a covid test for just an appointment.

[westwoodmom04]

Recently I was talking to a family member who had just had a COVID19 test (negative!). No symptoms, no probable exposures, but she was having a follow-up visit with her pulmonologist to do more pulmonary function testing, and that practice required a COVID19 test before the visit. They did do the testing at the pulmonologist's office but it required a 3-5 day lead time before her appointment for results.

Given the nature of the tests, that seemed reasonable to me, but it raised a broader question of whether many/most physicians are requesting this. Have any of you encountered this? If so, with primary care or only certain specialists?




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This is standard of care for everyone other than pediatricians and primary care in my area.

Not for dentists or orthodontists, though

[AngB]

I work in ultrasound in a high risk ob clinic. We probably SHOULD require our patients to get tested regularly but as of now, they only get tested a few days prior to delivery. (We do take their temperature, call the day before and do screening questions, do screening questions again at appointment- all of which is pretty useless I think..) (I'm not on the delivery side of things so no idea how they do it for people without scheduled deliveries..I'd imagine at a certain # weeks.) L&D nurses at are very high risk of exposure so they are trying to be careful. That said, we have already had at least one patient that came through our clinic, had a 45 minute ultrasound (close contact- our only protection is a surgical mask plus requiring face coverings on patients) and ended up testing positive (asymptomatic or presymptomatic) an hour later but we didn't find out until almost a week later so the person who did her ultrasound had been working all along anyway. (Not to mention patient had been sitting in waiting room with other high risk pregnant patients.) Now that testing is widely available it does kinda make sense for patients going through high risk populations to be tested prior...

[hillview]

It depends. I went in for a iron infusion and a COVID test was required (72 hrs before the infusion). I went to a GYN appt and no test needed. DH is having surgery and he is getting 2 COVID tests (one a week before and one the day of) and I need to also get one to go in with him.

[AnnieW625]

When my dad had to get a covid test prior to a medical procedure, he was told he needed to quarantine after taking the test until the morning of his procedure. He followed the rules, but I’m sure not all do.

Wow! I had a covid test for a surgery I had on 6/9 and I drove up and had my test and wasn’t given any sort of directions as to self quarantine or anything. I go to Kaiser. They are super pro public health so if it was a requirement they would’ve made it a requirement. I went to the grocery store after I had my test and then went home.


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[PZMommy]

Wow! I had a covid test for a surgery I had on 6/9 and I drove up and had my test and wasn’t given any sort of directions as to self quarantine or anything. I go to Kaiser. They are super pro public health so if it was a requirement they would’ve made it a requirement. I went to the grocery store after I had my test and then went home.


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My dad is in Illinois, so not sure how their rules are compared to our here? My mom had to drop him off and wait in the car. The surgeon called her when the surgery was done. He was allowed no visitors during his stay, and my mom picked him up when he was released two days later.

[doberbrat]

Just a quickie update - My mom went for her Covid test and was told 10-12 days or more for the results(!) due to backlog. No instructions to quarantine in the meantime. (although she'd still swear that she's staying home!) No wonder FL is adding so many positives daily.

[mom2binsd]

My dad is in Illinois, so not sure how their rules are compared to our here? My mom had to drop him off and wait in the car. The surgeon called her when the surgery was done. He was allowed no visitors during his stay, and my mom picked him up when he was released two days later.

Surgery at the local hospitals here allows for one support person in to visit. Our county is still well below any of the crazy numbers seen in other states, this is central IL. All surgeries that have happened around here require a covid test preop. Our nursing home test results are back in less than 48 hrs. The drive in test site (no symptoms needed) is giving results in 48 hrs, it's self admin test, for anyone old enough to self test/they even offer a shuttle out to the site for those that don't have a car. I'm really impressed with how our county is handling all of this!

[wendibird22]

We have had several medical/dental appointments and none required testing. (None were pulmonary though).
But if you think about this in the strictest sense, it's pointless. Patient gets test, gets results (best case) 3, days later. Then can go to appointment. But there's no telling that they may have been exposed AFTER being tested but BEFORE getting the results.

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This is exactly why colleges are rolling back their plans to do pre arrival testing of their students. If you are a campus of 20K and you test them a week prior to their arrival all you know if they weren’t positive the day of the test. You have all of the behaviors leading up to and the day of move in. It’s such a huge expense and so a lot of colleges are now removing that from their reopen plans. The CDC is even saying not to bother (for what the CDCs guidance is worth these days).


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[JBaxter]

Just a quickie update - My mom went for her Covid test and was told 10-12 days or more for the results(!) due to backlog. No instructions to quarantine in the meantime. (although she'd still swear that she's staying home!) No wonder FL is adding so many positives daily.. I know 3 people ( personally) who got covid tests here in Florida they had their tests back in 72 hrs

[elbert]

I was tested in mid-June prior to a biopsy. Wasn’t tested prior to the the doctor’s appointment not mammogram/ultrasound. Testing done at hospital’s drive-thru testing site. Test done 44 hours prior to procedure, with results back in less than 24 hours. I work for that hospital system and know they are fast-tracking pre-surgical testing.


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