As spreads further across the state, more people who suspect they have the virus are seeking testing. Tests remain in high demand as the state struggles to get residents results in less than a week.
Marty Cossette, a New Haven CTtransit bus driver, was tested last Wednesday at MidState Medical Center in Meriden. Two days earlier, he stopped driving his bus through the streets of New Haven about halfway through an eight-hour shift, after his doctor told him over the phone not to come in for his annual physical.
But before Cossette was tested for COVID-19, he said he was sent to MidState鈥檚 emergency room for a series of blood tests and a chest X-ray that took hours. His doctor seemed to think he might be having a 鈥渃ardiac event.鈥� Those tests came back negative, but Cossette鈥檚 symptoms persisted.
鈥淚 have a sore throat. I have a very dry cough at times. I鈥檓 very fatigued, even just walking from the bed to the kitchen [to] get a glass of water,鈥� Cossette said. 鈥淚 can, it just tires me out. I run hot, I run cold sometimes and I鈥檓 just completely worn down. I have a headache.鈥�
Last Wednesday, he returned to MidState to get tested for COVID-19.
鈥淚鈥檓 still waiting for the results. I called Thursday, I called Saturday,鈥� Cossette said. 鈥淚 called this morning, and they keep saying that there鈥檚 a backlog for test results.鈥�
A worker at Hartford HealthCare鈥檚 Clinical Command Center said on average, it takes five days for test results to come back, but it could take up to a week.
Cossette and his wife, Tiffany, are both New Haven CTtransit bus drivers. He thinks he was exposed while on the job.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e letting these buses stay out,鈥� Cossette said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e flowing incubators for this stuff for this to just continue spreading -- and literally spreading through the state because all of the transportation systems in the state all connect with one another.鈥�
The DOT has not provided additional paid leave for CTtransit employees. The couple are worried about running out of sick time. They鈥檝e been self-quarantining since last week.
Marty says Tiffany鈥檚 symptoms are worse than his.
鈥淪he鈥檚 having constant trouble breathing. She can barely walk 10 steps without being out of breath,鈥� Cossette said. 鈥淪he has the chills almost constantly, and we both barely move out of bed, and she has a very nasty cough.鈥�
Marty is 50. Tiffany is 35. When an ambulance took her to the ER last Thursday for breathing trouble, Marty couldn鈥檛 go with her. And just a few hours later, Tiffany was back at home. He said doctors told her there was nothing they could do for her and to keep self-quarantining.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still waiting for her to get tested,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd nobody鈥檚 willing to do a test on her because in their terms, she has normal health and not considered high risk, even though she鈥檚 exhibiting the symptoms.鈥�
Cossette said his doctor considers him high risk because of his hypertension and diabetes. Marty and Tiffany have to remain at home with their two children, waiting. Usually, Marty drives day shifts and Tiffany works nights. But as bus drivers, each day at home is one less sick day, and once they run out, those days become days they won鈥檛 get paid.
鈥淚 was told we could go on short-term disability, but that鈥檚 not guaranteed right off the bat,鈥� Cossette said. 鈥淭here鈥檒l be a delay in any income coming in. Obviously, health comes first, but we also have bills we have to pay, too.鈥�
