So I got tested for Covid

See, what had happened was…

I had a headache. Ok so it’s not that simple, but that’s the gist of it. I’m not normally one to really get headaches, especially like major migraine type headaches. But tuesday afternoon I got hit with a serious headache. It was like a, head spinning, can’t think clearly, all light hurting, think I’m gonna throw up kind of headache. And, like I said, I really don’t get headaches.

The thing is that, in the covid times, everything is a symptom of Corona. Coughing, sneezing, fever, body aches, but apparently especially a headache. At least from what I’ve heard, one of the most painful parts for, non-hospitalized, covid is the massive headache. So of course I got spooked. Part of my job is disinfecting and cleaning offices after possible exposure. So I’m theoretically at an elevated risk. So I did the responsible thing and got tested for Covid.

Nevermind that it is actually a little tough to find a place to get a covid test in my neck of the woods. (That has more to do with offices being booked more than anything.) I actually managed to find an urgent care clinic right near my house that took walk-ins for covid tests. More accurately, they take drive ups because it’s all done while you sit in your car. They bring you the paperwork and get your insurance information. They take your vitals through the window and even do the doctor questions/ exam via video chat on your phone.

Then the fun begins…

That has got to be the most uncomfortable thing I’ve had to deal with since my Army physical. Now it’s not painful, per se, but when they stick that swab up your nose… Well, have you ever seen a picture of a woodpecker’s tongue in it’s skull? It feels about that long. It’s like they have to swab the backside of your brain cavity. Oh yeah! They have to do it for both nostrils. The swabs smell something like a combination of pool chlorine and dirty celery. (Don’t ask.)

And, since I was there anyway, I went ahead and got the antibody test done, just to see if I had actually had covid in the past. That one is a quick finger poke, which of course they had to do twice because my finger wouldn’t bleed. But it only takes about 15 minutes to get the results back. (That one was negative by the way.)

Now we wait

It can take anywhere from 3 to 14 days to get my results back. At this time it’s been 7 days. Some of the people at work have gotten tested and gotten results in 3 days, but I guess every testing site and lab has their own capacity and testing rate. In the mean time I can’t go to work. And I don’t have any editing clients to work on at home right now…