Deborah Knight reveals the difficult decision she was forced to make after her four-year-old daughter showed symptoms of coronavirus
Deborah Knight has blasted the Australian government for failing to give out clear advice about how to handle coronavirus.
Speaking on her 2GB radio show on Tuesday, the 47-year-old said her four-year-old daughter Audrey recently had developed a runny nose and a cough.
Taking Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt’s advice that Australians should ‘over-test rather than ‘under-test’ for coronavirus, Deborah decided to get Audrey checked by a doctor.
Health shock: Deborah Knight, 47, (pictured) as revealed the difficult decision she was forced to make after her daughter Audrey, four, showed symptoms of coronavirus
However, it soon became apparent that testing Audrey for COVID-19 was a far more complicated and impractical process than anticipated.
‘I was told, rather than coming in [to see the doctor], they’d have to do a $30 phone assessment,’ Deborah explained.
Following the phone consultation, the doctor told Deborah that it was unlikely that Audrey had coronavirus, and advised her not to pursue further testing.
Deborah was left confused, given that Minister Hunt wad advised people to be over-cautious.
‘That is where things would get complicated’: Deborah said things became very confusing when a doctor advised her not to take Audrey (pictured) into a testing centre – despite the fact that Minister Hunt had advised Australians to ‘over-test’ rather than ‘under-test’
Deborah continued: ‘If we did decide that we wanted to get her tested, that is where things would get complicated,’ the former Today show host said.
The earliest appointment at Deborah’s local testing centre was in five days time.
Deborah said that Audrey would have to be isolated in her room for five days before and after the coronavirus test – a process that wouldn’t be easy for a four-year-old to handle.
In the end, Deborah decided not to pursue further testing, but said there is a clear lack of clarity surrounding how to tackle coronavirus.
‘The advice we’re getting is difficult to follow’: In the end, Deborah decided not to pursue further testing, but said there is a clear lack of clarity surrounding how to tackle coronavirus
Symptoms of the virus include a fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath
‘That’s part of the problem, the advice we’re getting is difficult to follow… [it’s] a lot to go through on just a question mark on whether or not she might [have coronavirus], Deborah said.
Meanwhile, the number of Australian cases continues to rise with 117 confirmed cases on Wednesday morning.
That number is expected to rise further as hospitals have been hit with long queues of people waiting to be tested for the deadly virus.