"Covid isolation tent"

Since early the day before writing this, I had experienced progressively worsening coughing, shortness of breath (SOB), sore throat, headache, body aches and pains, nausea, weakness, extreme fatigue, and fever. Multiple RAT tests that day were both negative. A PCR test that I voluntarily did as well (as I am a health professional), also comes back negative. Since it appears to not be Covid, I have concerns about possible bacterial pneumonia, that I suffered with around 1 year ago, that started almost identically to this illness, and I ended up in hospital for IV antibiotics only 48 hrs after symptoms onset.

So, I call my GP practice and get an appointment for midday but not my usual GP. Before I leave home, I do another RAT test and it is Positive. The GP does phone consult, prescribes antibiotics just in case, due to history of pneumonia. Advises me to call Covid-line 1326843 immediately afterwards so they can monitor my symptoms.

Somehow the National Covid helpline answers my call, and after reviewing my symptoms, my medical history, my current pain levels including chest pain (possibly more from coughing), the nurse strongly recommends I go to hospital for review. They call 000 on my behalf, gives handover to ambulance receiver, and this person tells me to chew an aspirin, just in case it could be my heart.

An ambulance arrives to deliver me to hospital. On the way, the paramedic complained about my Dr’s actions, the Covid help-line, that people only phone the national Covid line when they’re not coping, questions why I needed an ambulance, and mentions the fact that they have had Covid for 3 months and is still sick. I feel very disheartened by the way I am treated by the Ambulance paramedic. I arrive at hospital seated in an ambulance, and I call my partner, just after I have been asked to sit in white plastic chair in the Covid tent and wait.

About 20 mins later I am taken to another part of the tent for a throat & nasal swab, then asked to go back to chair. I am still feeling very unwell and want to lie down, my heart is racing, I am coughing more and feel SOB after each coughing episode. About 45 mins after my arrival, my chest is tighter, and I feel an increase in chest pain. I manage to stop a passing staff member and tell them my chest hurts more. They acknowledge me, but nothing else happens. After being in high back chair for another 15 mins or so, a nurse rouses me to say that they are trying to find a bed for me asap, I repeat how much my chest hurts, and they say it should only be about another 15 mins and then they can do ECG. Every now and then I open my eyes & more patients have left the tent, except for me.

I look at the clock and I have been in tent for 1.5 hrs with chest pain, that has increased while there, and now was about the time a bed was meant to be available. After 20 more mins I cannot tolerate sitting anymore and in desperation I lie on my side on the floor in front of chair and use my jacket as pillow. After 2 hrs of waiting, a nurse rouses me while I am on the floor, and abruptly tells me I shouldn’t be lying on the floor, I say I felt so ill I needed to lie down, but they say you just don’t do that in a hospital (I think – “this is a tent with a wooden floor and I am lying next to the wall of the tent out of the way, so I don’t understand the issue; plus I’ve been waiting for 2 hrs with chest pain”).

I wonder if this is really how they treat or assume about everyone with Covid in a public hospital, who has good oxygen levels and blood pressure, the only measures taken in the ambulance.

Over the last few months I have presented to an ED 3 times with chest pain, I am also a working health professional and well aware of not ignoring chest pain at my age, despite any previous tests on my heart, and to always present to emergency, as advised to me by all medical staff in the past.

I just don’t understand why it took over 2 hrs from arriving in ambulance that was called by the Health-direct Covid line because of concern regarding my chest pain, plus I’m told by ambulance receiver to chew aspirin before the ambulance arrives and not to eat or drink until assessed, but the Covid tent staff completely ignore my chest pain, even after I report it feeling worse.

I feel demoralised by how I am (not) treated by the staff in the Covid tent, I even felt ignored despite complaining of chest pain.

(I only read in detail about “Aishwarya’s CARE Call” after I return home. I had so little energy to assert myself or get up and find a senior staff member, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.)

After I change, I am so relieved to be finally lying on a bed of sorts and lie on my side as I cough less. The same nurse enters the room, puts on all the ECG monitoring, asks me to lie on my back, which makes me cough more. I ask if I can sit up a bit, they say they will adjust the backrest after ECG (but leaves the room without doing it). I am thirsty, and cold, but no-one checks on me, I end up having to lift myself up onto my elbows while lying on my back, to try and lessen the coughing, and wait......

Eventually the nurse returns, they repeatedly and asks me to confirm if I have medication on me, but not the specifics, asks if I have mobile phones on me, and what colour they are. Then promptly leaves the room, again without adjusting bed, or asks if I need anything, no nurse call bell in reach either. So, I just lie on my side and wait......

I am now feeling so despondent about this visit to the emergency department, I don’t ever want to return.

Eventually, a doctor comes in, first person who appears to genuinely care. He raises the head of my bed when I ask. I tell him the history and why I am here. He examines me and says he will take blood tests and a chest x-ray, to be sure I am not developing any lung infection, though he says he thinks my lungs sound clear, and the ECG is fine except for faster HR probably caused by fever, which is good news so far. I ask if I can drink now, because I am very thirsty, he says yes, but I have nothing with me to drink, so the doctor is nice enough to get me a cup of water before he leaves the room.

A different nurse enters to check on me, (must have had shift change I think). She asks if I would like pain relief, and then remarks as if shocked that I don’t have a blanket, and I say that I am very cold. She brings me pain relief and 2 blankets, and as she turns to leave, she checks for call bell and remarks again with apparent shock that I don’t have that either, so places it where I can reach it. This person also cares enough to check things without me having to ask.

After 2.5 hrs in the emergency room, the doctor comes in again and says that x-ray and blood tests are clear so I can go home, if I want to. I say, yes, I want to go home. They ask pointedly if I feel ok about going home, because something had been written in my notes about 'not coping'. I am surprised to hear this and tell them that is not the case. I came in under medical advice with chest pain, and the ambulance paramedic who brought me in had talked to me during the journey about people coming into hospital because they are not coping, but I had not reported that about myself.

I questioned if the ambulance paramedic handed over incorrectly that I was not coping. I can only wonder if my treatment delays and seemingly blasé attitudes from earlier staff were because of this.