COVID (Testing) For The Win

 A: Religion, Politics, Positive COVID tests

Q: What three topics don’t necessarily need to be conversation starters

As the pandemic raged on in the early- to mid-stages I wondered why people were hesitant to assist in the contract tracing process. 

After events of this week, I understand it better. And maybe not so much assisting contact tracers, but telling others yourself. At times I felt like a leper and at others encountered what I perceived as hostility.

This week , as preparation for working the upcoming Masters Tournament, I went to a drive-through site set up in one of the parking lots adjacent to the course. By this time getting the nasal swab was perfunctory as I had already been tested three times in March with negative results. Not this time.

The rapid test came back in about 10 minutes and I was informed that it had come back positive. A flood of thoughts immediately came to mind, the first being that the test was wrong. At this point in life I fully expect that if I were to contract COVID, the fierceness with which it attacked my body would be unmistakable. The second was undeniable: I wouldn’t work the tournament. Not as dramatic as “Apollo 13,” but for me I lost the moon.

Issues with the children had to be addressed and within the hour Melanie had pulled Connor out of school and Harper out of daycare. While she tended to that, I had to let my Augusta University standardized patient bosses know I couldn’t work my Tuesday-Thursday shifts.

The sticky situation was that I had worked a one-day gig on Monday and a positive test could cause some major issues. I notified the person in charge and that’s when the day really started going downhill.

I went back to the testing site to get a copy of the positive results and the small group assembled there approached the car warily, like I was going to jump out, take my mask off and start breathing on them. Convinced the test was wrong, I asked about a re-test, but that wasn’t in their protocol.

With all the issues it was going to cause for Melanie and the kids, especially with their spring break during tournament week, I got on the horn and scheduled a test with AU at one of their drive-through sites, a place I had gone the previous Thursday as required for Monday’s work.A day I got my first Pfizer shot. Those test results wouldn’t come back for a day, so I went home and quarantined myself. That afternoon I got a call from the job the day before saying they wanted their medical people to have a look. Wanting to stay in their good graces, I acceded to their wishes.

On arrival I was basically shoved into a small windowless room. Except for a person getting some information at the beginning, I had no contact of any sort for the first 45 minutes until someone came to swab my nose.

I probably should have left at that point, especially when I could hear them talking crap about me outside the door, but I figured I’d stick it out and see what the results were.

That little incident made me feel terrible, the attitude displayed toward me was that I had contracted this potentially deadly disease on purpose to ruin their day or days to follow. I understand how it negatively affects other, but does the disease really discriminate?

In 30 minutes, the results came back: inconclusive. I only found that out because again I could hear the medic talking to them. I was not told the result until I opened the door and demanded it.

By then my good will had evaporated. When they told me they wanted to take another test, I lost it inwardly while mostly keeping my cool outwardly. They swabbed me again – the fourth time of the day - and I went home.

The crux of it all was the more-reliable test came back negative early the next morning. Good to officially know I wasn’t contagious. Connor and Harper were already prepped for staying home so we didn’t mess with that.

Because I couldn’t re-test with the tournament I’m still out, but with a silver lining. Instead of pulling in a great payday for 10 days of work, I work for the final three days. Usually by then people are dog-tired and counting down days to the end of the event. At least I won’t have to deal with that.