My dad was tested for COVID on Monday after feeling achy, fatigued and generally unwell. His test came back negative today. But there’s a little story here.

He told me on Sunday that he wasn’t feeling well so I told him to go get tested Monday morning; he didn’t want to but my mom agreed he should. I told her she would probably need to be tested too or at least isolate until his results came in.

They went to the test site in Selkirk first thing Monday morning. Guy doing the test told my mom she doesn’t need one if she doesn’t have symptoms. Fair enough. She asked about isolating and he said no, only if she has symptoms. My mom works in a school.

She clarified with him where she works and made sure that she doesn’t need to isolate. And then he asked her if she was just trying to get out of work???

That’s been irritating me all week. If my dad’s test had come back positive, then my mom would have been going to work all week in a school while living with someone who tested positive. And was weirdly shamed by the test administrator for asking about being cautious.

Isn’t the biggest issue with this that you can spread it while being asymptomatic? But don’t need to isolate or be cautious even if you live with someone who has symptoms until you yourself have symptoms? And have some random stranger accuse you of being a lazy slacker?