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Can't Get Tested: Longmont Woman Trying To Get Coronavirus Test For 3 Days

LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4)- Patty Melnice is at home. She doesn't feel very good at all.

"I had a rough night last night," she told CBS4's Alan Gionet over a video call. "I have a real tight chest and dry cough and body aches and just don't really feel good in general."

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Patty Melnice talks with CBS4's Alan Gionet via video call (credit: CBS)

Her doctor thinks there's a good chance she has COVID-19, but she is in limbo.

"My situation demonstrates how we're behind the curve on this," she told me.

It started when Patty and her husband Raymond were on a great vacation in Sweden and Norway.

RELATED: Latest Updates On The Coronavirus Outbreak In Colorado

"I had felt like a tickle in my throat a couple of days before and didn't think anything of it and it just progressed. It really progressed quickly once we got on the plane."

They made it home Tuesday night and Wednesday morning it seemed bad enough to call the doctor. What they told her, was a surprise.

"The staff there at the doctor's office told us to go to the urgent care. And that didn't feel right, so I called the emergency room."

But that got her nowhere. They put her on hold at a hotline.

"And I held for over two hours and never got connected with anybody, so I hung up and that afternoon I tried again."

No one picked up again. So she left a number. They have yet to call back.

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(credit: CBS)

She made a call to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and after 45 minutes on hold there, did talk to someone. They told her to self-isolate until she had gone 72 hours without a fever.

Thursday morning, armed with an order from her doctor for a test, the couple headed to the drive-up testing site in Lowry.

RELATED: Coronavirus In Colorado: Local Governments Declare States Of Emergency

"So we drove to Denver and waited in line there, but there were cars for days. We weren't going to be able to see anybody."

They returned home to Longmont.

Meantime, Patty had been getting worried about the people she may have exposed. She contacted a guide who had been with them in Norway. She was concerned about the man who gave them a ride home from the airport.

"I've let him know that I might... I'm sick. I don't know if I'm positive."

Overnight Thursday she felt even worse.

"And my husband and I, neither one of us could sleep, so at 5 o'clock this morning, we decided why not go to Denver and we'll get in line so that we're there and ready to go?"

It seemed a smart move. They were second in line. But the weather rolled in and at 10:30 a.m., after five hours in line, the state said it simply wasn't safe for the health care workers.

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Patty Melnice talks with CBS4's Alan Gionet via video call (credit: CBS)

"The National Guard came out and told us they're not testing today, so we're back home."

Without an answer.

Patty has a chronic medical condition, that is a pain syndrome that leaves her concerned that her immune system may not be as strong as she'd like. She's frustrated.

"I feel like I've jumped through every hoop to try and be responsible so that other people aren't exposed ... I don't know what else to do. I'm not going to walk into an ER. They've stated they don't want you to do that."

The doctor's office has now told her they believe LabCorp will get more test kits Monday. So she waits. But she won't get back in line at the drive-up site.

"I don't feel good, I'm not going to go out anymore and sit in line anymore. I'll just stay in quarantine here until there's something definitive that I can do… If it does get worse, I'm going to have to make, you know, some different decisions."

Additional Information from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment:

  • Practice good hygiene. Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. In the absence of soap and water, use hand-sanitizer; use your elbow or sleeve to cover coughs and sneezes
  • Stay home if you're sick; keep your children home if they are sick. The illness can last for many days so make preparations now to work from home if possible.
  • We advise Coloradans to always be prepared for an emergency-- like a large snowstorm-- and have a plan for your family. Make sure to have 72 hours of key supplies on hand like medications, infant formula, diapers, pet food, etc. FEMA guidance for pre-pandemic COVID-19 preparedness is available on Ready.gov.
  • Stay informed with reliable, up-to-date information. People who have general questions about coronavirus disease 2019, can call CO HELP at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911 or email COHELP@RMPDC.org, for answers in English and Spanish (Español), Mandarin (普通话), and more.
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