STEPHEN RICCIO
PONTIAC Aug 5, 2020
While COVID-19 has had an immense impact on everyone’s lives, the majority of people have not experienced the virus in such a way that would require getting tested.
I had not been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 symptoms and . . .
had no specific reason to suspect exposure to the virus, but I decided to get the test for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it’s free of charge and widely encouraged. Secondly, I commute from Gatineau to work here in the Pontiac and one area is certainly more highly infected than the other. Thirdly, my editor told me to get a test because he thought it would be hilarious if I got a selfie with a swab up my nose. Unfortunately, CISSSO does not allow for photos within the testing facility.
I called the CISSSO COVID-19 appointment line, 1-877-644-4545, on July 21 and was promptly told that I could get the test done quickly if I was available for a 7 p.m. test at the Gatineau clinic. Tough to refuse such an offer, so later that day I found my way to the clinic.
Once I got to the clinic, I waited in a distanced line-up outside with around ten other people who had also set up an appointment. Some people took longer than others with their test, so I did have to wait nearly an hour before entering the clinic, the one downside through the otherwise efficient process.
Once inside, I was led into an enclosed area where the nurse was waiting. She sat me down and asked me if I had gotten a test before, to which I answered no.
She proceeded to explain to me how she would be administering a brief throat swab in addition to a ten-second nose swab.
She explained that this is to ensure a more accurate test, as both areas are common entry points for the virus.
The throat swab did not feel like much, but I knew it was the nose swab that would leave more of an impression.
Many people have referred to the long swab that is pushed up the nose as ‘tickling the brain’. The tickle was undeniable, and my eyes briefly watered, but my brain seems to be unscathed.
Once the swabs were done, the nurse informed me that I would be receiving a phone call of the results in a week, and I went home. An hour of mask-wearing and a pound of hand sanitizer later and I had done it.
Exactly a week later, on July 28, I got a phone call from CISSSO informing that my test results were negative. I was worried about the status of my results for a few days, but then realized that if the results were positive, I likely would have felt symptoms or heard about someone else who had in my circle. So by the time CISSSO called, it felt like a formality.
But it’s not over yet, and as we gently nudge our way back to a normal society, it seems fair to expect further testing in the future.
Fortunately, I now know that it’s a process that is fairly hassle-free and handled with great care by the professionals who are dealing with COVID-19 on a daily basis.
