SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — I recently woke up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose.
Normally I wouldn’t think twice about continuing with my day, but in the middle of a pandemic, our thoughts go in a different direction.
With a nagging feeling, I confessed my symptoms in our morning newsroom meeting and was promptly sent to the drive-thru testing site and then home to work for the rest of the day.
After donning a mask, spraying down everything I’d touched and advising my co-workers, I made a beeline for my car and the testing clinic in Slemon Park.
Rain was falling steadily, and wind whipped across the open areas.
Yellow signs guided me down to a parking area next to the Summerside Airport building.
A sea of orange pylons created laneways, and I pulled up behind a red Volkswagen to wait my turn. It was a Thursday morning, and we were the only two cars in line.
After a wait of, I’d guess, fewer than five minutes, the Volkswagen and I were pointed toward a re-purposed hangar.
“Engine off. Windows up. Health card ready,” read the reflective yellow sign attached to a cement divider, the first in a ring that surrounded a make-shift nursing station. Two women sat at computers while four others in face shields and masks moved round, their yellow disposable gowns floating in the wind coming in the open hangar door.
One woman came over with a clipboard to ask the screening questions:
Had I been outside the bubble? No.
Had I been in contact with someone with COVID-19? No.
I explained my sore throat and mentioned I was worried I had a fever as my cheeks felt flushed.
Then she explained the process.
Because I had symptoms, they’d take three samples. With one swab, they’d take a sample from the back of my throat as well as both nostrils.
She said it’s no big deal, but I might gag, and my eyes would probably water.
Then a second woman arrived with the swab.
It did not look like a nice soft Q-tip at all.
I opened wide and said, “ahhh.” Yep, a little gaggy.
Then she asked me to tip my head back.
I did.
“Can you look at me a little bit.”
I did. With my eyes.
“No, like, can you turn your head a bit,” she amended.
“Oh.”
It felt pretty much like I figured it would – like a skinny poke-y thing in my nose.
It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t awful, and it was over quickly. If I didn’t already have a headache, it might not have been bad at all.
The first woman came back and explained about how to get my results – online using my health card number – and to remain in self-isolation until I had my results. No problem.
I asked what my partner should do, and she said he should monitor for symptoms.
Once the red Volkswagen was finished, we started our engines and rolled out into the driving rain.
I headed home to continue my day working from home on my laptop. All three cats joined me. It was altogether lovely.
At 7 a.m. Friday, I logged onto the website and was told the test was negative.
And that, dear readers, was that.
Heroes wear yellow disposable capes.
