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Possibly Utah-specific and anecdotal:
Last week I thought I had a fever 2-3 days. Mild, but I dont own a thermometer (and can& #39;t buy one now, bc have you tried?) and I wasn& #39;t sure. No coughing, but scratchy throat, headaches, more tired than usual. 1/
Last week I thought I had a fever 2-3 days. Mild, but I dont own a thermometer (and can& #39;t buy one now, bc have you tried?) and I wasn& #39;t sure. No coughing, but scratchy throat, headaches, more tired than usual. 1/
I& #39;ve been food socially distancing, but also have immunocompromised family members that I couldn& #39;t put at risk.
Last week Utah said we have enough tests that they essentially lowered the bar for testing: if you have *any* of the symptoms, come on down and get it done. 2/
Last week Utah said we have enough tests that they essentially lowered the bar for testing: if you have *any* of the symptoms, come on down and get it done. 2/
So I called the @UtahCoronavirus hotline, talked to someone and explained my symptoms and situation...again, they were very mild (and gotta say, if this wasn& #39;t like, Pandemic Tyme, may not have even "felt sick") and they pre-registered me for a test. ~ 10 min on the phone. 3/
Chose a @UUtah clinic, they had a drive thru testing place where you drive into a parking terrace, stay in your car the entire time, complete paperwork through closed car windows. Set up to test 3 cars at a time. At 5 PM Friday, no wait at all. 4/
Checked my blood oxygen level, which was lower than they wanted, so they were glad I was getting tested.
The nurse administering the test said "you know when you& #39;re swimming and you inhale through your nose, that stinging you get? It& #39;ll feel like that."
It did. 5/
The nurse administering the test said "you know when you& #39;re swimming and you inhale through your nose, that stinging you get? It& #39;ll feel like that."
It did. 5/
They insert a "swab" (I imagined a gentle cotton swab, but it was more like a tiny bottle brush) until they hit that sweet spot somewhere between sinus and brain, and then rotate the swab for 20 seconds. It& #39;s uncomfortable, but intubation is more uncomfortable so okay. 6/
Bc my blood oxygen level was low, they had me step out of the car so they could listen to my lungs w stethoscope (they& #39;re all in protective gear), and I& #39;m okay. They did offer a chest x-ray, but were more like "uh self-monitor, if ___ or ___ happens, come back" 7/
They said expect test results in 24-48 hours.
I was tested about 5 PM Friday, got the results by noon Saturday.
Results were negative, so
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Literally. I couldn& #39;t have seen my son on his 18th birthday if they were positive. So yay. 8/
I was tested about 5 PM Friday, got the results by noon Saturday.
Results were negative, so
Literally. I couldn& #39;t have seen my son on his 18th birthday if they were positive. So yay. 8/
All of this is just to praise the medical workers who are doing everything they can to keep us safe. In Utah, we& #39;re fortunate to have the capacity to test people who need testing.
If you have symptoms, get tested, it will help them track spread. 9/10
If you have symptoms, get tested, it will help them track spread. 9/10
Thx @UtahCoronavirus + news outlets for keeping us informed, @RobertGehrke posts a great Utah-specific daily summary. @SpencerJCox is good at explaining where we are as a state, and it feels as transparent as it can be right now. Thx for doing what we can to keep us safe. 10/10
