Thursday, November 05, 2020

Healthy Mama || What It's Like Going For A Covid 19 Test


Yesterday I booked in and ventured off to a local covid testing site which was a weird experience, so I'm now at home waiting the results, feeling rough as anything really wishing I could just sleep all day for a few days and not have to adult! I thought I'd share how the test went in case any of you need one and find it a worrying prospect like I did.

The test was easy to book and I was able to go at 7.30pm, which was helpful with having kids. Once on the site I can only describe it as clinical and like a wipe clean murder scene, very odd! They lightened the mood with butterfly stickers, but yep it still definitely looked like a white sheeted crazy tunnel from a murder film.

Once in, I was led to a small room off a corridor with a hospital type curtain, with the test bag, a bin, a chair, desk and mirror. Posters on the wall show the process of taking the test and it was all pretty straightforward. I was feeling really poorly and super tired, so reading through it all made my head spin a bit so I asked for help to make sure I did it right first time. It's strange but completely understandable that the staff look terrified when you move near them!

In the kit there's bags, a swab, a tube with liquid in and some tissue. It's a bit weird to do but easy and not as bad as expected. All you have to do is:

  • Blow your nose to get rid of anything in the way
  • Put the swab up your nose as far as it will go, it's tickly but doesn't hurt! 
  • Wipe it round for ten seconds
  • Wipe the swab on your tonsil area for ten seconds, makes you gag a bit but not too bad.
  • Snap off the top part of the swab and put the rest into the liquid bottle and seal. 
  • Put in bag with soft pad and seal

After that, you're led through to put the test in a tray and they tell you to go home and stay there, wait 72 hours and see what happens. For me it's been just over 24 hours, so I'm eager to get the results. I don't think it's covid, but I do tick every box (as does most of the yearly viruses I get) but I need to be careful as I'm working in school for two more weeks and hate the thought of making people poorly. I have the temp, a bad cough, I can't taste or smell at all, but also have a super sore chest, feel dizzy and I am so tired I can hardly stand. So some covid symptoms, some not so much. 

If you need a test or need one in the future, it's really not as bad as you think, you can order one by post or go to a site and it's really quick, clean and safe. I dreaded having to do one on the kids, but now I've done one I don't think it would be any issue getting the kids to do one too at any point.

Wish me luck!