Has anyone had to send their loved one to the ER during Corona Virus?

If your mother needs hospitalization you aren’t helping her by keeping her away from the ER. Even if she contacts Covid, she still has the issue at hand to be dealt with.
But do take the advice of her doctor.
Perhaps they could test her as an outpatient? I’m not sure from your post if she lives in a private residence or is in a facility. I recently needed blood work for my aunt and asked her doctor to order HH so they could draw blood and other issues. She has had UTI tests through HH as well. So perhaps that is an option for your mom?

I have been in the ER and hospitalized twice during Covid. I felt very safe and all precautions were taken. Everyone including me wore masks. My husband was not allowed to go with me but I preferred that as I didn’t want him exposed to anything.

I was tested for Covid (negative) and your mom probably will be as well.

I think the main thing is find a way to get her the medical care she needs. It sounds like you have had plenty of experience with UTIs so you know they can be fatal.

Thanks everyone. I ended up sending her to the hospital. Just talked to the doctor over the phone and she does have a bad UTI and they're admitting her. I feel better having talked directly to the doctor.

Anyone presenting with symptoms of COVID are isolated so if your mom, or anyone has to go to the ER it is safe to do so.
If her doctor is aware of the frequent UTI can you contact the doctor and possibly get a prescription so you can care for this at home?

My Mom (81 years old) went to the ER twice with her COPD in March and in May. She tested negative twice then sent back to SNF at her Retirement Home. She had contracted Covid 19. Sent back to hospital to Covid floor. They allowed us to call in and video chat and see her. No one could come in. I would stay on the video for 8 hours talking to her while she hallucinated and screamed and yelled to calm her. Watching Covid ravage her was horrible and heartbreaking. She was lucid going into the hospital and the covid ravaged her neurologically. She was screaming continuously day and night " I am dying, Momma, help me! , She was on 10 L of oxygen almost ready for the vent. I told the Doc to not vent her please and do not resuscitate. Its what she wanted. Just keep her comfortable. She passed away 7 days later. This COVID is horrible for the elderly when they get it. It took my most precious possession my Mom. Please keep yours safe.

I don't know if Urgent Care would handle this, but I think it's possible since I'm sure all that's needed is a urinalysis.    Some urgent care facilities in my area open at 8 am; others in your area might as well, so you might be able to avoid other people as much as possible. 

(I don't like to get up early, but I do now just to avoid all the people who are noncompliant and won't wear face masks.)

When her nurse arrives, she may be able to take a sample and deliver it to the doctor's lab; that way you can avoid going out.   She could also get a script if Mom does have a UTI.    (I've only had one and don't recall what antibiotic I might have been given).

Also, do you have cranberry juice?  If not, get some and keep it on hand.

My father went to the ER in May. Then in turn sent him to rehab. It was there he contracted Covid. Couldn't send him back to AL so now Long Term Care.

My dad has been, no issues, many precautions were taken by hospital staff and no visitors allowed including family

My dad had to go to the ER during Covid and was admitted. Eventually they allowed one visitor at a time. I could not stay with him in the ER but nursing staff were excellent and communicated well. It is a very difficult situation but an untreated UTI can be very bad. Can she start antibiotics at home? Can her PCP set up a home health nurse to check in on her?

No ER visits thankfully for our mother. She's in MC in an IL/AL/MC facility which has been on strict lockdown for quite some time. So far, so good, no cases for residents or staff. We are in a more remote area, but there are still cases popping up. Thankfully they had started doing "remote" samples on-site when possible before this virus (i.e. blood draw, urine samples.) Last I knew this was only maybe once/week, so it could delay treatment.

She also gets Mac Degeneration treatments 4x/year. The place is a long drive (not a lot of places do these, and it was in the area we had lived for years, but move to MC made it a long trip!) and requires we transport. The medical facility delayed her visit one month (April -> May) and then instituted strict protocols to enable them to continue necessary treatments.

For OP (or anyone else in similar situation), you are aware that she has UTIs often. I would recommend you purchase some OTC UTI test kits and check her on a regular basis - don't wait for the tell-tale signs, as it would already be running in her system. Also, those "signs" can change over time. Mom's first UTI after moving to MC resulted in severe sun-downing (she'd never had those before.) The next 2 showed up as night time bed wetting.

If you test her, maybe once/week or every other week, you could catch these sooner. Most likely she would need to have a real urine test done (culture is best) before Rx, but if doc is good/responsive, he could order Rx after you get positive test and also order a sample to test (hopefully they get sample before you start the meds!) This way the UTI would not get out of control and require a hospital or even ER visit/stay.

Even better would be to have her on a longer course of medication. One urologist told me that if UTIs were frequent, it would need maybe a 3-6 month course of antibiotics (in either case, be sure to include some good "biotics" in her food as antibiotics can mess up the digestive system!)

So, ask doc if you can do these regular test and get quick response if you detect a UTI. Best to nip it early and avoid the need for ER or hospital stay altogether, with or without worries about the virus! You don't mention dementia, but if she has this, the back and forth to ER/hospital can wreak havoc as well!

My answer is not Novel Coronavirus related, BUT does your mother keep pure cranberry juice and otc AZO on hand to prevent U.T.I.s? My late mother got frequent U.T.I.s and as a result, she kept the pure cranberry juice on hand and always cured herself - saving a hospital trip.
Now I certainly do understand that in your mother's case, it may be too late for those suggestions if she already has a U.T.I.