The coronavirus victims doctors are refusing to test: Infected Aussie couple turned away

Alex Lewis and her boyfriend Ed, both 24, were knocked back for testing after presenting with flu-like symptoms. Photo / ABC

A young couple who suspected they had coronavirus were turned away by doctors and went back to work for three days before tests confirmed they had the disease.

Sydney couple Alex Lewis and her boyfriend Ed went to their local GP after they came down with flu-like symptoms.

The couple says they hadn't been in contact with anyone overseas and wanted to confirm their health status.

"I had a bit of a cold, it was like a mild dry cough, then I woke up the next morning with a full-blown flu, the headache, fever, chills, body ache, exhaustion, that kind of thing," Lewis told ABC.

Alex Lewis and her boyfriend Ed, both 24, were knocked back for testing after presenting with flu-like symptoms. Photo / ABC

After being pushed away, the couple returned to work for three days.

A week later they were finally tested after someone they knew was also diagnosed with Covid-19.

"The first shock of being diagnosed was intense. Lots of, you know, feelings, sad, and confused and worried for the amount of people that we'd seen that, that kind of thing, was playing on our mind," Lewis said.

Their positive results have raised concerns there could be hundreds of other Australians infected after being turned away from testing.

Marek Steiner, from Medplaza Medical Practice in Sydney, is worried infected patients are slipping through the cracks and spreading the virus through the community.

"At the moment, we're only catching cases that satisfy very narrow set of guidelines," he said.

"We know that already a quarter of the patients that have tested positive have no contact and did not satisfy that initial set of criteria."

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The couple have now been in isolation for six days, and it is not known how they picked up the virus.

They say they are not afraid to have contracted Covid-19.

Despite not being originally tested, Lewis' partner Ed praised health authorities for how they are handling the pandemic.

"Every medical officer we have dealt with prior to and after receiving our tests has gone above and beyond to help us and our broader community.

"They are faced with an impossible task and are doing everything they can to slow the spread of this disease and ensure that they have the facilities available to look after those who are more at risk than Alex and I."