[prasathlr]

I experienced this first-hand today, hence I would like to know what the forum members think.

I live in Bangalore and a family in my apartment complex was found to be COVID positive. Due to which, BBMP ended up in our apartment. They called every house in the apartment and except for a couple of houses, no one came down for the free COVID test. The test conducted by BBMP was RT-PCR which is considered as the most accurate test out there.

Why are people scared to get a COVID test done? I would like to hear the different opinions held by various folks here because it is baffling that educated people prefer to believe in rumours rather than the data and government circulars.

[Shreyans_Jain]

There is still a lot of stigma associated with being found COVID positive, all thanks to the massive scaremongering indulged by the highest echelons of the government back in March and April. People tend to ostracise. Even educated people. They start treating you and your family differently. You become the subject of WhatsApp forwards and gossip. The fact that majority of cases are asymptomatic or mild enough to be dismissed as common cold or ‘change of weather’ doesn’t help. People are choosing to risk the disease as the feel its an issue only when it is severe.

[saket77]

My fear due to which I would avoid any such test at a public centre is that since the person collecting samples would be wearing the same PPE and using his hands for everyone which may include infected persons; this may transmit the infection to me. Also, maintaining social distancing in that testing queue may not be possible because authorities could treat all persons being tested as already infected.

These are the two foremost reasons as to why I would avoid getting tested at a mass testing centre.

[NPV]

Another reason could well be the public perception and trust levels people associate with a corrupt government agency like the BBMP.

During the early days of the lockdown, I do know of one case where they genuinely helped admit a person who tested positive and the person recovered fully and is fine now and didn't have to spend a penny.

However, now things seem to have changed with some hospitals offering COVID treatment packages for Rs.28 lakhs in Bangalore, I kid you not , and I've heard from a friend that BBMP guys are sometimes acting like agents for the hospitals and could declare someone positive when in reality they aren't! Again, I won't say all are bad, but you get the drift.

[danlalan]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

There is still a lot of stigma associated with being found COVID positive...

Absolutely true. Its like looked down upon if you test positive. Like how could you be so dumb enough to go and get your self covid (even after taking the necessary precautions).

I know people who have had a slight fever or a cough and cold and don't wanted to get tested. They rather pop a few medicines and carry on with life rather than get tested. Yes there is a possibility that it could be just fever. But nonetheless. Be sure.

Me being currently Positive have realised that people around me are behaving so differently. Educated people. Its so suprising.

I on the other hand was so eager to get tested. Just to make sure I don't infect other people.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by saket77

My fear due to which I would avoid any such test at a public centre is that since the person collecting samples would be wearing the same PPE and using his hands for everyone which may include infected persons; this may transmit the infection to me.

I've got myself tested twice after ending my quarantine, as I returned from Delhi and Chennai to Kerala, after the lockdown was lifted around June. The test was conducted in a very small public health centre in Kerala. Having seen their protocol twice, I can very confidently say, they reduce the risk of transmission to lowest possible levels. Both times result came out negative.

3 people were manning the RT PCR sample collection booth, with 1 Doctor collecting the sample sitting behind a covered booth. The other two were religiously disinfecting the candidates hands and the equipment used after every sample taken. My only point of contact with anything foreign was the chair in which I was asked to sit, before the doctor took my throat swab, and yes the chair was disinfected before I sat down on it.

So it depends if the suggested protocols are being followed or not. I also know of a family, who got infected despite not going out anywhere and no one coming from outside into their home. They were getting their supplies delivered at their doorstep.

Spike

[am1m]

Isn't the answer obvious to anyone who has been following the news for the past 6 months?!

The level of overreaction by the BBMP, the media, the government (Central and States), local authorities, cops, RWAs, and society in general is the main reason why the stigma is still around covid and testing.

Had we just gone with the kind of messaging we have in place today: social distancing, hand hygiene, avoid crowds and get tested, instead of trying to solve a medical issue by using law enforcement and often unscientific tactics: section 144, lockdown, barricading people inside houses and apartments, spraying disinfectants on people, sealing private hospitals for a suspected covid case, landlords asking covid patients and health workers to vacate, localities barricading roads, locking gates (none of which were just rumors, all of these and more did happen- google and there are enough news reports), I think we'd have been in a much better position.

So yes, the government has changed tactics and the messaging is different now, but it will take time for people to come around. But I do see it happening, a lot more people in my neighborhood are wearing masks (quite a few even properly ), which was not the case 3 months ago. I'm sure a lot of people are getting tested privately too, probably just don't want to get it done through a public agency like the BBMP. I'm optimistic more and more people will do the right thing. Either way we've finally ended up in the same situation- having to trust that people will do what is required. I wish the authorities had trusted us to do that from the beginning.

[Abhi5868]

Because of the public perception that in the process of getting tested, you have greater chances of catching the virus.

OTJust a week ago, our Microbiology professor's family was subjected to distress because word got around his society that he was the HOD of the testing team.

[prasathlr]

I was exposed to COVID some time ago and was the primary contact. BBMP volunteer promptly got hold of me and asked me to get myself checked. Every single person, including my parents, told me not to get tested but he insisted that without testing they wouldn't be able to pin-point from whom the patient got COVID. It made sense, and I got myself tested. He told me, I can approach any government hospital for a free test. CV Raman General hospital was the closest to me and I went there to an RT-PCR test. There were hardly any people in the hospital and every staff there had taken proper precuation and the primary staff who would attend to us were wearing PPE. There was ample amount of hand santizers everywhere, just to be safe I had taken one. The total time from entering the gate till the moment swab collected was just 15 mins. It was a pretty good experience.

Coming to the primary contacts there were 5 of us, we all suspected that the maid was the one who spread the COVID but the maid was hell bent on not getting the test. After eliminating everyone with a negative test who came in touch with the patient, the only one left was the maid. After lots of convincing, she gave her test. Lo and behold, she was COVID positive and was asymptomatic. She was visiting 5 households in a day, now imagine how many in the 5 households would have been exposed and from those 5 household how many others would have been exposed?

At least my experience with BBMP volunteers were excellent. They made sure all the precautions were taken and provided necessary information with regards to COVID. I hope the stigma around COVID vanishes gradually and that people get tested so even if they are asymptomatic, at least they can quarantine themselves and not spread the disease.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by prasathlr

At least my experience with BBMP volunteers were excellent. They made sure all the precautions were taken and provided necessary information with regards to COVID.

That is really great to hear! I hope that continues and with this sort of scientific and humane approach we will certainly turn things around.

[logicalidiot]

Originally Posted by prasathlr

After lots of convincing, she gave her test. Lo and behold, she was COVID positive and was asymptomatic.

People are not really scared of testing but the after effect it has. There is a fear among the people that they would be tested positive. No, it isn't because the society will look down upon them. Infact, the society is turning out to be more acceptive, and supportive than earlier. But when you are tested positive, you have to isolate yourself from others, stay separate from your family and can't go to work for at least 3 weeks.

For the lower-class, this pandemic has already took a toll on them during the lockdown. Many lost jobs and have been struggling to earn money for a living. Now if they are asymptomatic and are tested positive, they are worried that it would make the things even worse for their family. Not to forget that the covid treatment comes at an additional cost to brunt!

[agambhandari]

I'm a doctor currently posted in covid area in aiims and i myself was scared of getting a covid test done.

1. Risk of cross infection where you go to get tested. Especially if it not a home collection.

2. Where will i go? I would needed an institutional isolation as currently i live alone in a rented accommodation and there would be no care taker at my place. Though aiims is providing rooms for covid affected staff but still wasn't sure of the facilities there.

Finally got it done as it was the right thing to do and better to catch it early rather than delay. And the anxiety that follows for waiting for the test result is something else.
Thankfully, the screening and sampling for the employees at aiims was deserted at the day i went.

[pyrodrive]

The stigma is growing less now compared to before. Now people doesn't care much if somebody they know tests positive.
I got covid recently and survived. Being a doctor, it is very difficult to continually evade the virus, eventually would have got it anyway.
My hospital has a protocol of doing RAT for every patient, but problem is that RAT is too unreliable and if I see ten OPD patients in the morning( all RAT negative), at least one would turn out rtPCR positive by evening. So exposure is guaranteed.

[crdi]

1, Fear of getting contaminated while being tested.

2, Your pivate data being used for contact tracing.

3, Enforced hospitalisation in the initial days of the pandemic.

4. Horror stories about inhumane actions by health care workers, right from ambulance drivers to nurses and doctors.

5, Fear of genuiness of the results, like a false positive, which may result in one being shunted to the treatment center full of actually positive cases and subject to all the aforementioned.

6, Commercialisation of the whole medical sector.

7, Overall lack of trust in the system.

[Lobogris]

What is the benefit in getting tested? Unless you are seriously ill and need hospitlisation, knowing whether you are positive has no benefit apart from satisfying your curiosity. There is no treatment or cure available. All you can do is rest, take adequate fluids along with vitamins and most likely you will recover. If you are asymptotic then it makes even less sense to test yourself.

As far as not wanting to spread it, you are supposed to take similar precautions in any case such as wearing a mask, avoiding crowded areas and so on. Your immediate family members would have already been exposed for days before you get your results.

Now coming to the negatives, first is the potential institutional quarantine in some dirty and uncomfortable location. In addition, if you succeed in home quarantine, you would face restrictions like having a caretaker, stigma and fear from neighbours and harassment from a myriad group of officials. I would NEVER get myself tested under any circumstances unless I am admitted in a hospital. Even if I learn that I was at X place and many people there have tested positive. It makes no difference.

If I am worried about spreading it to others, I will avoid traveling in a bus, metro etc and would avoid visiting a mall or market for around a week. I would obviously not go visit anyone in their house. However, I would continue going for a walk in empty areas, driving somewhere if required, receiving deliveries etc. I would simply ask the delivery person to leave it outside the door. I already wear a mask when using the lift and the lobby and if I suspected I were sick, I might wear an N95 mask while using the lift and perhaps use some sanitised napkin to press the buttons.

There has to be a balance between my rights and the rights of others. So why would I voluntarily apply harsh restrictions on myself by getting tested when I can judiciously chose to take sensible precautions voluntarily?