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My COVID Experience Today
Maybe about two months ago our office opened back up to allow the construction contractors to return and resume the renovation work. Because of the nature of the space, they have to be escorted and we worked out shifts so people only had to watch them a few hours each week. Four weeks ago we were allowed to come back in teams, one week in the office and one week at home continuing telework. This is my week off but this morning I received a call that one of the contractors had tested positive for Kung Flu this weekend. I didn’t get all of the details but he claims to be asymptomatic but got tested. The last time he was in our space was the end of May, which was my week off.
We had a staff meeting at three with some details. They’ve closed our building for a week. The military members have to get tested. Civilians can’t be forced to get the test, but can’t return for fourteen days. My boss went to a testing location that closed at three and said that he’d have results in one to three days. I looked online to see if any other places were still open. One down the street was, so I drove over. I entered the lobby, answered no to having any symptoms. When I mentioned that I might have had contact at work, I was told that they had to do curbside testing, which is only done at three of their other locations.
I headed over to the nearest curbside location. A sign on the door said not to enter the lobby and call their number. I did and was told that it would be a 45-minute wait and to come into the lobby. Also, results take seven to ten days. One, if it’s going to take seven to ten days I might as well wait the 14 days and not have my brain stabbed. Two, if the other location told me to go to a curbside location, why was it okay with me being in the lobby? I could catch it during the wait or infect someone if I do have it. I’m going to wait until morning to go to the place offering a one to three day wait. How serious is this disease if the sign says not to enter the lobby for a COVID-19 test but then they tell me to come on in after I call? I don’t expect to test positive but now I have to do the waiting game.
Published in General
This episode has done nothing to improve my opinion of the mental acuity of my fellow man.
Yeah, the more history I read the more I see that they were making the same mistakes back then. Dealing with the same human issues.
It cuts the other way too. I’ve heard people marvel about some ancient architectural or technological wonder saying “how could they have come up with that?”
“The same way you get to Carnegie Hall. Practice, practice, practice.”
So now the CDC and WHO have decided that transmission of the virus from people who test positive but are asymptomatic is extremely rare. Basically no one knows anything, carry on.
My daughter was informed today that she’s been exposed to the virus at her new job. My brother -in-law also has it. 13 out of 25 workers got it at his job.
I’m sorry! My husband got the runaround when he got tested. In all, it took him four hours for the appointment. I hope you’re going to be okay.
They are limiting the number of people that can go into the lobby at once. Maybe the limit is one person at a time. That keeps the viral load low.
To me, the question is why are they calling it curbside testing if you have to go into the lobby to get tested?
That was my question. I figured I had to go to the second location because I potentially have it and it’s configured to test me without contaminating the building. Then they want me to come in anyway. Maybe the lobby limit is small, but why a forty five minute wait?
The urgent care company I work for had a nice system worked out for testing.
One location, curbside testing. Recently we were getting results back in 1-2 days.
Very smooth, very organized.
The idea was to limit contamination of staff, non Covid patients and our other locations if anyone was symptomatic and suspected Covid.
So of course, they sh#t canned it.
Came to work 2 weeks ago. Now all locations are testing. Indoors. My first day back we had 16 patients tested 2 positive at my location.
Multiple staff and rooms exposed.
When I suggested that maybe we had been a little hasty in getting rid of the single location system I was very curtly told it was ” a decision by corporate”. No medical providers were consulted.
I was discussing this with some of our medics the other day, and a physician who is in paramedic school for us. Everyone agreed that in 12 months we still won’t know what happened with the Rona. And lots of people will pontificate on what happened and whether various measures worked.
I got back from the drive thru location. There were about twenty cars in front of me and cars kept coming behind me. Didn’t expect it to be that busy. Fortunately it wasn’t the brain stab test. It was a swab placed in both nostrils for a few seconds. Now I wait for one to three days.
NB to anyone getting tested. Before you do it, make sure it’s the PCR test and not the rapid one. The latter has something like 60% sensitivity when tested against PCR positive samples. The PCR test takes a couple of hours. They’ll say a day or two because of handling time, but it’s a MUCH better test. Also the accuracy of any test is dependent on specimen collection quality. The “brain stab,” as far as I understand it at this point in time (a change in information as we’re learning should not be construed as a “lie”), is a better collection method than barely going into the nostrils, but the latter is apparently being considered good enough for people who are asymptomatic. Not sure why, but I’m glad you didn’t have to have the other. It really is pretty unpleasant, though mercifully quick.
I have concluded that the CDC and WHO could not find beer in Ireland.
They’re doing a very poor job of explaining the difference between pre-symptomatic and a-symptomatic. Viral load in the high-transmission site (nose, upper throat) is highest a day or two before and after the onset of symptoms and then trails off over about 7 days after onset of symptoms. So, pre-symptomatic, as opposed to asymptomatic, patients can still be high transmitters. That’s what’s getting lost in translation here: the two are being conflated when they’re very different populations.
Yeah. I had the PCR test done today and was dismayed when the person testing me just swabbed my nostrils.
Now I’m not sure the result is going to be accurate.
May I ask what city or state or just region of the country this is in?
Albuquerque, New Mexico. I work on the Air Force base so we were exempt from the governor’s rules from the beginning. The base commander had his own rules that limited the number of people allowed on base. The contractors asked for permission to return to work shortly after the lock down started and it was granted. Us office workers continued to work from home except for the short time once a week to escort the contractors.
Thanks. That’s a lovely city by the way.
It does have its charms. When the sunset is just right, the Sandias light up in a gorgeous purple.
Logged into MyChart today and the results are negative. I checked the type of test per Caryn’s comment and it was a PCR version. The plan is to open the building on Monday so I’ll be ready.