Discussions

Curious about average wait that people are having lately to get negative test results back? Online it’s saying after 4 days to call but I’ve heard other people being told it could take up to a week.

I'm curious as well. I've heard one person say that they had gone on Thursday and got their results on Sunday this past week.  
 
I went on Monday morning so based on this I'm expecting to see my results tomorrow. Though I suppose it may take longer with the volume of people who have gone in the past few days.

I believe positive results cases are contacted asap, negative cases contacted 3-5 days after testing. Thought I heard that in a update from Dr rousin.

I get the desire for everyone to be tested, but I really question what an individual is going to do differently based on the test results? If you're symptomatic - stay home until you feel better. If you've been told to isolate - you should be doing that. If you're asymptomatic - why are you getting tested in the first place as the chances of false negatives are far higher anyway.

There are many reasons to get tested. I had to because I had one symptom and could not get in at any clinic. (Throat infection)  
Not every symptom is mild, or even caused by COVID, but try to get treatment right now anywhere if you have any symptoms.  
 
I was negative, but if I was positive, the results of that would be far reaching. I live with a husband who is considered high risk. I work in a place that serves the public. So I did it so I could see a doctor and get on antibiotics, and so that if I was infected my workplace and family could take precautions themselves.  
 
They are asking asymptomatic people NOT to get tested right now, so most people that are have a reason.  
 
Not every symptom is mild, or even caused by COVID, but try to get treatment right now anywhere if you have any symptoms.

Got my test Monday , logged in this morning around 11:30 and the results were up.

Some people work in/with the public, or with other people in general. If you know whether or not your symptoms are caused by Covid, your workplace can take appropriate measures to protect other staff and employees. It's not only for your benefit to know, but for everyone else as well.

I waited 2 and a quarter hours in line on Saturday to get tested. Just checked and I still don't have results. The cough is long gone but I'm still staying home till I get a result. I tried phoning this afternoon and gave up after an hour and a half on hold. I guess with the spike in numbers, they are just really swamped again.

I went Friday afternoon and had results online by Monday

It makes a world of difference for isolation and contact tracing.  
 
I read somewhere (maybe it was rules for school for a different jurisdiction, I'm pretty sure it's not Manitoba?) that if you have a negative COVID test, you can come back to school once your symptoms resolve, but if you have a positive test (or no test at all), you need to wait 14 days from onset of symptoms before ending isolation.  
 
It would also make a difference for others in your household, and this would apply in Manitoba. If you have a positive test, unless you have been isolating from others in your household, your entire household will also need to isolate for at least 14 days, possibly more depending if anyone else in the house gets sick. So if you get sick, but didn't isolate from others in your house and someone else gets sick at day 12, your 14-day clock will restart. And it will have to keep going until it's run it's course in your household, or you've gone 14 days with no one else getting sick.  
 
I sure would want to know for sure if it's COVID or not in that case. I have 7 people in my house. If we get it one at a time (unlikely, but possible, we'd likely be staggered in groups), we could have a 14-week quarentine block. I don't want to do that unless I have to!

A little more context on turnaround times right now...  
City of Brandon just confirmed a positive test in a staff member in sanitation. Test was taken on Monday, just got their positive today:  
https://www.brandon.ca/public-notices-details?var=5955

If the result is positive it will be notified before 48 hours. After that it is most likely negative. I won’t say 100% but chill

But why do the negatives take longer to hear back? Is it just because it takes that long to call back everyone and the positives obviously get called first or is it to keep them home a bit longer if they’re showing symptoms?

Just circling back to this...  
One local Covid-positive I know of that learned their result this week had been tested three days prev to getting notified. Gotta be a little careful about making wide assumptions in one case, but looks like the lower test volumes don’t necessarily mean any individual test is turned around quicker than when testing lineups were stretching halfway across Downtown...