It seems like every time you turn on the news, they are talking about Coronavirus testing. We don’t have enough testing… we have enough testing… the cycle never ends! Writing a blog post about COVID-19 testing may seem like overkill but to overcome this virus, we must stay on top of testing. Being a college student during a pandemic has created many challenges, and one of those challenges is figuring out a way to bring students from all over the world, back to campus safely. Many schools around the Dayton area are requiring you to have proof of a negative Coronavirus test before you can return to campus. With this rule in place, I had to get a test since I will be heading back to school next week. To tell you the truth, I was not looking forward to it. I had heard from some, “Oh, it hurts so bad!” and others… “It’s not bad at all.” I wrote this blog post to hopefully ease some of the stress and anxiety regarding the testing process. Just a reminder — everyone’s testing journey will be different, but here is mine:
To return to campus for the 2020-2021 school year, I am required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 5 days of my move-in date.
STEP 1: I called my doctor’s office to get a script written for the test. Now, I know what you are thinking… calling the doctor’s office is the worst. You sit on hold forever and have to listen to that elevator music that makes your skin crawl. Luckily for me, this was not the case at all! I called my PCP and they picked up right away.
*What I learned along the way*
Calling your doctor’s office for a script to get tested allows you to walk into the testing site where your script was sent and be tested on the spot, no questions asked! You can always try to visit an urgent care and see if they will test you on the spot, but you run the risk of a long wait time.
Getting the script written by my doctor was quick and easy! One important thing to note is that this whole interaction was done over the phone. The ability to get the script over the phone is important because due to the virus being easily transmitted, when possible, you should try to avoid being around individuals who are sick. My primary care doctor sent my script for the COVID-19 test to Dayton Children’s Hospital and it was eligible for the week of August 10th, so I could go anytime that week. I was all set to go for my COVID-19 test… ready or not here I come!
STEP 2: Dayton Children’s has three main campuses and I went to the location in Springboro, Ohio. The hospital had a ton of signage to make it easy to navigate to the testing center. If it was easy for me to find my way to the testing center that is saying something… I may or may not be the best at directions.
Once I arrived at my testing site, I had to check-in at the front desk. They scanned my driver’s license and insurance card and asked me a few questions.
*What I learned along the way*
Don’t forget these two cards or else you may not be able to get tested!
The questions were: Have I had any symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 5 days? What was the best way to contact me with my results? Who was the provider of insurance in my family? After answering these questions, they asked me to wait in a waiting room for my test. Others were waiting to get tested as well, but the hospital made sure that the chairs were spread out enough to adhere to social distancing protocols. I felt safe the entire time I was in the hospital. The wait was only three minutes before they called me up for my turn – they definitely have a good process going on here!
STEP 3: Now, let’s move onto the actual testing experience. Once I was called for my turn, I was taken to a room where my test was waiting for me. The nurse followed up with the same questions as before and asked if I had experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 in the last five days and to verify my date of birth. After responding, she pulled out the nasal swab.
*What I learned along the way*
You are not allowed to record yourself and vlog during the COVID-19 test… trust me, I tried.
I looked at that thing and thought, “Nope, no way that is going all the way up my nose!” I thought about making a dash for the door, but I’m glad that I didn’t. The nurse told me that I might feel a little discomfort and that she would do the test as quickly as possible. The swab went up both nostrils and I was done! To be honest, it wasn’t the most pleasant experience ever, but it definitely didn’t hurt as bad as I thought! Now, I have the comfort of knowing my results so I can head back to school safely!
I wanted to write this blog post and share my positive experience to help encourage people to get tested. I know many are like me and probably feel anxiety about getting tested – but I’m here to tell you that there is nothing to worry about! It may not be the first thing on your list of “fun things” to do, but it is important to get tested if you have symptoms of the virus. We must work together to fight through this pandemic, because together we are stronger!
Published By: Jeffrey Duvic
