SAN DIEGO — If you have moderate cold or flu-like symptoms, just go to your doctor and ask for a Coronavirus test, right?
Well, it’s not that simple.
A retired nurse who lives in Linda Vista contacted News 8 because her urgent-care doctor’s request for a coronavirus test was denied.
“I'm concerned about everyone who might be walking around with mild symptoms and they may be carriers,” said the 70-year-old woman, who asked that her name not be used for this report.
Earlier this week, she went to a Sharp Rees-Sealy Urgent Care downtown because she was worried she might have the a coronavirus virus. Her symptoms were a mild fever, shortness of breath, and a dry, scratchy cough.
The Sharp doctor agreed she should be tested for coronavirus, especially since the former nurse had recently traveled to Las Vegas.
“He got a swab. It's kind of a scratchy little swab and they stick it in your nostrils. They swab your nostrils and then they process it,” she said.
Later, the ex-nurse received disturbing news. She would not be tested because she did not meet CDC criteria.
“He called me that evening to let me know the lab refused to test me because I'm not in the hospital with pneumonia,” the former nurse said in a phone interview.
The County of San Diego said they follow CDC guidelines on COVID-19 testing. They only test people who have either traveled to risky countries, been in contact with an infected person, or are suffering from respiratory problems like pneumonia.
The county’s public health officer, Dr. Wilma Wooten, said people who feel sick should self quarantine.
“We not be able to test everyone. Once we have community-wide spread and (people) have symptoms similar to a cold or mild flu, we will ask them to stay at home until their symptoms are resolved. So, the testing is reserved for those who need it most,” said Dr. Wooten.
By comparison, in Denver this week, the government started offering free, drive-through tests for the general public. All you need is a note from your doctor.
Dr. Nick Yphantides, the county’s Chief Medical Officer, said public testing may be coming soon to San Diego.
“We are looking and developing potentially within the next 24 hours a very similar drive-through capacity option here in San Diego,” Dr. Yphantides announced during a news conference Thursday.
That's a good thing as more and more people still don’t know whether or not they're infected, including our retired nurse from Linda Vista.
“I want to say that this has been terribly mismanaged and it's unacceptable in America,” said the ex-nurse.
Sharp Healthcare emailed News 8 the following statement and referred us to their web site:
“At Sharp Rees-Stealy we strictly follow the testing guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and San Diego County Health and Human Services.”