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COVID-19 test
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2020-09-16
Vanderbilt Covid Testing
This photo is a screenshot of an email that I received during the Fall 2020 semester at Vanderbilt University. Throughout the semester, I received many emails that looked exactly like that one. The email is proof of a negative Covid test result, which every Vanderbilt student had to receive each week during the fall semester in order to remain living in their dorm. If a student tested positive, they would be taken from their dorm into quarantine housing. For some context, in March of 2020, all Vanderbilt students were sent home early due to the coronavirus. From March onward through the summer, Vanderbilt students worried about their fate as students. Would we be allowed to return to Nashville in the fall? Would we be subjected to more online “college”, trapped in our childhood bedrooms? This anxiety physically ate away at me, keeping me in a constant state of unease. When we finally heard that we would be coming back to campus, it felt as though an immense, invisible weight had been released from my shoulders. We were told, however, that there would be restrictions to college life. At that moment, I did not care an ounce. I would happily take any variation of college, as long as I would be able to live on campus. One of my major stressors entering that year was that we would be kicked off campus a second time. Callous students loudly proclaimed that this was inevitable, there would be no way that we would last this upcoming year. Comments like this brought the anxiety right back to the pit of my stomach. As a student who was going to be living on campus, what would I do if I was kicked off? Where would I go? I did not even want to think about that as a possibility. But that was the energy that charged the air at Vanderbilt that year: there was a fear and a deep distrust that Vanderbilt would stay open. One of the key differences between this year and other years at Vanderbilt was the weekly Covid testing (In the spring semester, the Covid testing was twice weekly). Students were required to enroll in times in their schedule when they would trek over to the Rec, or the large gym on campus, to spit in a tube. At the beginning of the year, I would go with my friends during our allotted time. We soon learned, however, that it did not really matter when you went, as long as went sometime during the week. While this was in some ways comical, to walk into the Rec center, with pop music blaring, and spit alongside your college peers, there was something stressful about it as well. It was like constantly turning yourself in; if you did have the misfortune of having Covid, you had willingly given yourself over for the school to come and take you away. Especially at the beginning, fear of Covid was rampant. Even if you felt fine, a scratchy throat may seem like your doom. At the beginning of the semester especially, waiting for the emailed results felt like eternity. And we all knew what would happen to people who tested positive, or those unfortunate enough to be contact traced: they were shipped off in a golf cart for everyone to see, and were banished from the rest of campus. But this was worth it, all of it was worth it for us. The stress of getting tested and the fear of being quarantined was a miniscule price to pay for being able to be on campus, with our friends. It was an escape from our summers of restriction. Or at least, it was for me. And for that, I give Vanderbilt tremendous credit for opening and following through successfully with the covid-testing of all the students each week. -
2020-12-22
Air Travel
Despite health warnings from the CDC, air travel in the US exceeded 1 million daily passengers for three consecutive days since last Saturday. If you're planning to travel, the health agency recommends getting tested one to three days before the trip and three to five days afterward. They also encourage you to "reduce non-essential activities for a full 7 days after travel, even if your test is negative.” -
2021-01-28
ASU COVID Saliva test
I took my employee mandated COVID-19 test at 7:20 in the morning and recorded the process. Test result was negative. Transcript: Katy: All right, I’m taking my COVID test because ASU said that I needed to do it. It’s basically a saliva test. They give you a vile to spit into and a line that you have to meet. When I came in, somebody gave me the vile and wrote down my date of birth. I’ve got a straw. I’m just gonna fill this sucker up with saliva. -
2020-01-28
COVID Testing Troubles
I needed to submit a negative COVID test in order to go back to my apartment, so I went to a free drive-thru COVID test at my local community college. The lines were long, but surprisingly quick. However, I was surprised that I was not given a straw to spit my saliva into the tube with. In my previous COVID tests at my college, a straw was given. I had a bunch of saliva saved up in my mouth in anticipation, but I when I got my tube, I spit saliva on everything but the tube. My pants were drenched in my own spit, it was nasty. It was also kind of hard and awkward to drive through the line and spit at the same time. However, I was really impressed at how fast and efficient the testing process was. I ran into another issue later, when I got my test results via text but not through my official patient portal. I had to wait on call for around 20 minutes to request that my results be uploaded so that I could send proof of a PCR COVID test to my university. Despite these mild hiccups, I encourage people to get tested regularly if they think they have been in contact, or have symptoms. -
2021-01-21
MW: Should I Get Tested
The CVS next to my house offers COVID tests. The test is the nose swab one and I really don't want that. I have gotten a nose swab before and remember it being very unpleasant. However, I have been exposed to a situation where I may potentially have been exposed. I don't have any symptoms but the thought of the nose swab is stressful. I wish they had less invasive tests near me. -
2020-11-24
England Allowing Visitors To Come After Taking Covid Test
The UK is setting plans to allow visitors to come to the UK after taking a Covid-19 test. This is a huge step considering the country has been under a major travel ban and had been requiring individuals to partake in a 14-day quarantine. This new testing protocol is great for those wanting to see family and loved ones in the UK. -
2020-11-10
Covid-19 Test Timeline in Victoria BC
Timeline for Covid-19 testing from Island Health in Victoria, BC. Supposedly it's a very quick turnaround, taking under 24 hours.