Immunocompromised woman denied COVID-19 testing questions process

TRINITY, Ala. (WAFF) - A Morgan County woman is questioning the COVID-19 testing process after she was denied tests at the emergency room despite “showing early symptoms” and being immunocompromised.

Just before work Saturday at a Shoals-based shelter, Cheryl says she went by an urgent care clinic in Florence since she wasn’t feeling well.

She was given the run around. The Florence-based clinic referred her a Muscle Shoals hospital. Nurses there referred her to her doctor (primary care physician).

“My doctor is in Cullman, and I live in Trinity," explained Cheryl. "I went to the walk-in clinic there where he works sometimes.”

Staff at the clinic sent her to Cullman Regional Medical Center. Once there, staff advised her to go back to an urgent care before staff there sent her back to the hospital.

Cheryl was tested for the flu at the hospital. Her results were negative.

Eventually, she was sent home with some antibiotics. The next day her temperature soared to 104-degrees.

“There are vulnerable people at the shelter. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t sick and carrying that back to them," stated Cheryl. "I also met other qualifications for testing in that I have diabetes, I’m 51 and I have graves disease. So, I’m immunocompromised.”

WAFF 48 News learned state lab testing is available but it’s up to clinical judgment, according to Dr. Karen Landers with the Alabama Department of Public Health.

“If we were to rewind a week or even two weeks ago, the testing recommendations from the state were different than they are now," explained Dr. Thomas Spain of Welbii Medical Center in Huntsville. He says the process of deciding who should/needs to be tested is ever-changing for doctors.

Dr. Spain primarily consults with his patients through phone calls, emails or text messages. He says this is a modern way to treat patients symptoms.

In this case, Spain says telehealth, as it’s known, is the best practice to prevent the spread of germs.

From your couch, he says he will ask questions and issue a diagnosis.

“We would certainly advise them to stay home and help them decide if they need to be tested," stated Dr. Spain. "If they do, we could help coordinate that testing and guide them on how to get it.”

“Knowing that I could carry that back to other people and harm them or become very, very sick myself was stressful," said Cheryl.

As of Tuesday, Cheryl says her temperature has gone down but she’s not out of the woods yet. She was never tested for COVID-19.

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