So, in the interests of research, I booked myself a drive in Covid test for this afternoon. The nearest test centre is in a car park about 20 minute drive away (there are home tests available for those unable to get to a test centre). I was very impressed with how well it was organised. I booked a slot through a government website, which generated an email with a QR code. At the entrance to the car park staff held up various printed messages in front of me - "Do you have a QR code?" "Keep your car windows closed" "Do not take photographs" and so on. The car park was set up with various stations / stages. First my QR code was checked - I held my phone up to the car window, and a member of staff scanned it through the glass. At the next stage the QR code was scanned again and printed labels and test sheets with a barcode linked to my QR code were generated. Again, I kept the car windows closed, and the staff put a little package of paperwork under the windscreen wiper. From there I went to collect the test. Here the signs held up included one with a phone number to ring. I then spoke to someone (presumably in the prefab office next to the car) who gave me some instructions, including asking me to wind down the passenger window so a test kit could be dropped into the car for me to self-administer. He also checked I had hand sanitiser with me - they would have supplied some if necessary, but I had taken some anyway.
Next stop was a holding area, which I thought was a queue for a testing station, but after sitting there for a few minutes like a lemon reading the test instructions I realised I should actually be doing the test there and then. The instructions were very clear, but I went into irrational rushing and panicking mode and didn't do the best job of it! I forgot that I was supposed to cough and blow my nose before taking swabs. I was supposed to start by swabbing my tonsils (or tonsil area) for 10 seconds. As I had my tonsils removed 50 years ago, remembering where they ought to be was a bit hit and miss, and I barely managed the 10 seconds before I had to stop because I was gagging too much. Then I had to use the same swab on my nose for 10 to 15 seconds, which again I only just managed because it made me sneeze. I put the swab into a vial, sealed it, stuck on one of the barcode labels that had been printed for me, and then put it all into a ziplock bag as instructed. I then stuck the remaining barcode label onto a grey plastic bag - just before I realised that it was supposed to go onto a clear plastic specimen bag. Oops!
I had been given instructions to turn on the car hazard lights to indicate when I had finished the test, or if I had any problems. I turned them on and waved the grey bag with its accidental label at the member of staff who came over. She asked - through the window - if I could manage to peel the label off and explained the grey bag was for me to dispose of wrappers, tissues and any other test paraphernalia. Duh! After a bit of fiddling I managed get the label off and onto the right bag. She checked that I had got the vial properly labelled and everything was in the right place, told me to seal up the specimen bag and sent me on to the final station. Here I had to open the car window for the second and final time and throw the sealed, labelled bag into a waiting bin. Job done! It probably took about 30 minutes in total. The link between the QR code and the barcodes it generated should mean that I will automatically get the result by text. It is supposed to take about 48 hours, although the instructions warned that if the test labs were busy it could take up to 5 days. I will be very surprised indeed if the result is positive, but I feel I have at least made a very small contribution to medical science.
When I got back I took H to Tesco as both M and I had prescriptions that needed collecting. M's was there, no problem, but they didn't have my asthma inhaler. Apparently they hadn't been able to get it for a month - they did however have it in a higher dose, and suggested phoning the doctor to ask if I could have that and take one puff instead of two. Unfortunately I needed it sorted quickly as it is my asthma preventer and I only had a couple of doses left on my old inhaler. When we got home I rang the doctors' surgery and spoke to the someone from the prescriptions team who told me that every other pharmacy in the area had the right inhaler in stock, so to go back to Tesco and ask for the prescription to be released back into the system so that another pharmacy could issue it. We went back and H went in to sort it out for me, only to find that in the half hour since she had been there the first time they had received a delivery of inhalers and were able to fill the prescription. Yet again I am feeling thankful for the NHS and what (at its best) is a joined up medical system. The total cost today was £9.15 for my inhaler; the Covid test was free.
My busy medical afternoon meant I didn't get my walk today - perhaps not a bad thing as I probably needed a rest. After H and I got home we watched the first half of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, then I made stir fry for dinner. In the evening I attended the brass band's AGM by Zoom. I'm not used to all this activity! I will have a leisurely day tomorrow to balance it. I only need to do my archive work on four mornings and would have taken Friday off but have to attend an online meeting, so will have my free weekday morning tomorrow instead.
No chance to take photos today, so I have added in a couple from yesterday to brighten things up a bit.
1 comment:
Gracious! What a system for the testing!!
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