Last week, we brought you the true story of *Grace, a Nairobi media executive, who woke up one day, after a couple weeks of flu-like symptoms and decreased lung capacity and wasn't able to smell (a symptom that occurs in an estimated 30% of Coronavirus-positive patients). You can find the first part of the story here.
Our protagonist agonized for days about whether to go to the hospital and have a test and, though it made her very nervous, eventually took the plunge.
In her mind, the pro's of having the test were:
To find out whether she was positive because she has a young son at home to protect
To find relief knowing that she has already been through the disease and survived!
And the negatives of taking the test were:
The cost of the test (Ksh 10,000 for the test, Ksh 2,000 for a consultation, and Ksh 5,000 for the protective gear at Aga Khan hospital)
Having to go to the hospital where she might encounter many sick people and infect herself if she didn't already have the virus.
Within 48 hours, she had her test results. The report reads as follows:
PCR CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 NOT DETECTED
And the interpretation is this: A negative result (virus not detected) indicates a lack of detectable virus. However in people who are incubating the infection, the virus is usually not detectable until the onset of symptoms or up to 2-3 days before. That means that someone who develops symptoms after testing could still have COVID-19 infection and should be retested.
Other factors that could could lead to a negative result in an infected individual include

• poor quality of the specimen, containing little patient material
• the specimen was collected late in the infection
• the specimen was not handled and shipped appropriately.
• technical reasons inherent in the test, e.g. virus mutation or PCR inhibition

So, though in some ways it's a relief to know that she doesn't have the Coronavirus at this time, it's hard to know how to interpret the results. Did she have the disease already and she has recovered (everything except her sense of smell/taste?) or did she NEVER have the disease? I guess until there is a test to check whether someone has developed antibodies, she can't know.
Are you agonizing about having a Covid-19 test? Here are Grace's thoughts about her experience:
'It's a huge relief to know that my test results were negative and that I'm not currently infected. It's a bit frustrating not knowing whether I ever had Coronavirus or not but I can live with that. The main takeaway for me is that you want to do everything you can to PREVENT yourself for getting this infection because what I observed at one of the top private hospitals in Nairobi frightened me; I don't feel that adequate measures are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus within the hospital. If you think you might need a test or treatment, you should call the Ministry of Health helplines or the Aga Khan hospital in advance and discuss your thoughts and worries with them; they are best placed to advise you about whether to come in for a test or not.'
After-note:
Ministry of Health Helplines: 0800 721 316 or 0732 35 35 35 or 0729 471 414
Aga Khan University Hospital hotline - 0709 931 700
Once an antibody test becomes available and Grace gets tested, KenyaBuzz will again update you on her story (likely several months away).