While there had been reported cases of recovered COVID-19 patients contracting the virus a second time, Tracy Schofield has tested positive 8 times in the past 50 days and continues to wait for the result of her 10th test.
The Canadian nurse was reported to first show symptoms on March 30 and tested positive for coronavirus the next.
She showed the usual symptoms of difficulty in breathing, fever, headache, and chills, she shares to local news. Her temperature even reached 104.1F and lost her sense of taste and smell. Even after following the 14-day rule of self-isolating, her second test was still positive.
Her next 5 tests from Cambridge Memorial Hospital had the same results and her doctors couldn't explain why she kept testing positive. Schofield shares that with every positive result, 'it's like somebody punches me in the stomach.'
On her 8th test, results were finally negative.
However, an individual must have two consecutive negative results within 24-hours to know if they're free of COVID-19. Schofield's 9th test came back positive, and she continued to live in self-isolation.
Deciding to Discontinue Home Isolation
By April 14, Schofield was cleared to leave her home but still waits to have her two negative results to consider herself recovered.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provided guidelines on isolation for persons with coronavirus. There are two ways of knowing if an individual with COVID-19 symptoms may discontinue home isolation within the context of local circumstances.
If 10 days have passed since initial symptoms appeared and at experienced at least 72 hours of having no fever without medicine, under the symptom-based strategy, the person may discontinue isolation.
The test-based strategy is the second method. The availability of tests depends on local testing supplies, convenient access, and laboratory capacity. An individual may discontinue isolation if there is a resolution of fever without medicine, improvement of respiratory symptoms, and have two consecutive negative tests.
Even as Schofield continued her home isolation with every positive test result, continually regaining the viruses raises a personal concern of personal long-term complications, the nurse shares.
She was also cleared to go back to her work as a registered practical nurse but fears infecting others, sharing that she 'still to this day have shortness of breath.'
Read Also: CDC Emphasized COVID-19 Not Easily Spread by Touching Surfaces or Objects
Possibility of a False Positive
After sharing her story, Schofield had been contacted by people who have been sharing a similar experience.
With continuous worldwide efforts for effect COVID-19 testing, medical experts have warned that tests can produce false-positive results.
Dr. Li Wenliang, before his death due to the disease, informed that the virus can 'fool the test kit - there were cases that they found, the CT scan shows both lungs are fully infected but the test came back negative four times. The fifth test came back positive.'
Physician and epidemiologist, Bill Miller, from Ohio State University said that 'the whole testing field is in flux... we can't be completely confident in how they will perform.'
Schofield is just days away from discovering if her 10th result from COVID-19 tests will come back negative or positive.
