Testing for COVID-19 — It Shouldn’t Be This Hard
My hours as a sales representative at The Graphic Edge had been cut because, well, since COVID-19, sales just weren’t coming in. But, every now and then, a small order would come through. So, in late June, I went to the office to pick up the order so I could deliver it to my customer. I hadn’t been to the office in weeks, so, I cautiously made my rounds to greet the people I used to see almost every day. Most greeted me much the same. We exchanged pleasantries, complained about the pandemic, lack of work, and the fear of being laid off — normal chatter at 6 feet apart for today’s new normal. Many seemed tired since The Graphic Edge laid off 40% of its employees in April. Those left were spread too thin in their responsibilities.
Hannah Carswell, my younger sister, worked in the shipping department. Not only was she now the only person working the shipping department, but her responsibilities had spilled over into helping the production team, as well. Maybe that was part of why I thought she looked so exhausted. Maybe it was because I knew it had been an especially rough time for her — her wedding was canceled, she was unable to see her therapist as often, and the older sister she used to see every day was now somewhat of a recluse. Maybe that’s why the moment she turned around, we hugged each other as if social distancing had never existed.
Three days later, she was diagnosed with COVID-19.
According to sciencemag.org, the US had been ramping up COVID-19 tests to 5 million per week by mid-July, so there should not have been much of an issue with getting a test. However, getting tested for COVID-19 proved more difficult than it should be.
In a letter directed to Gov. Kemp from healthcare workers in 59 Georgia counties, appointments for testing “are booked for days ahead in many locations.” In some areas, testing sites are so backed up that patients are being told to go to a site that is hours away from their home county. Many don’t get their results back for a week or two. This means, if they are symptomatic, they are encouraged to not go back to work until they have tested negative for COVID-19. If they test positive, it is recommended that the individual get tested again after the initial 14 days or wait until it has been at least 20 days since they were symptomatic in order to go back to work.
Carswell was one of the lucky ones. She was able to not only take a test from her primary doctor, but also get her results back in less than two days. “They didn’t want to test me,” she said, “but [my mom] called to her doctor’s office and cussed the doctor out demanding I get tested.”
However, for most who were around her in those weeks, testing proved to be more difficult than it should be, just as the letter to Gov. Kemp had stated. Within the first two days after Carswell’s diagnosis, I called Peachtree Immediate Care, the COVID-19 Hotline, CVS, Walgreens, as well as a private testing site North Point Church had set up in their parking lot.
I never spoke to anyone from Peachtree Immediate Care or the COVID-19 Hotline — I was on hold until I finally gave up and tried somewhere else.
CVS and Walgreens both had an automated message telling the listener that they were unable to book appointments for COVID-19 tests over the phone and to visit their websites. When visiting the website to book an appointment, all appointments had been filled for the next week at all locations, even those that were hours away. Even now, the CVS website states in bright red font “Due to high demand, please allow 6–10 days for results. In some instances, our lab partners may take even longer to return results.”
Walgreens warns of a shorter wait — only 4 days for test results — but there was something on their website that caught my eye. If the patient does not show up to the appointment in a car, they will refuse to test.
In 2018, 8.7% of American households did not have access to a vehicle. This number might not have been as alarming in 2018 when carpooling was all the rage, but it seems obvious as to why it could be dangerous to take an Uber to a testing site when you suspect you may have COVID-19. I also did not have a drivable car at the time, so Walgreens was out.
That left North Point Church’s testing site. I called. No one answered. Turns out, despite what their website had claimed, they were no longer testing. Even if they were, they were apparently charging over $180 per test, according to some of the comments on the website.
Emily Grant, who had been feeling fatigued and nauseous after being exposed, went to her primary doctor for a test. They administered it, but informed her they would not be able to give her results for at least another five days. She would have to miss work until those results came back negative.
It wasn’t getting COVID-19 that necessarily scared me. It was spreading it to the people I love. My boyfriend, Tyler Cope, whom I live with and who was also working in the same building as Carswell, is a type 1 diabetic. Contracting COVID-19 would be detrimental to his health. He worked far enough away from Carswell’s shipping station that he was not as worried about getting a test as I was. But, every time he’d try to console my fears, my mind would go back to that hug I’d given her days before.
Was that enough to get COVID-19? If either of us became symptomatic, I would have been sure it was because of that hug. My mind raced about the possibilities for days. I insisted, at the very least, he should get tested if I could not.
“I called my primary care doctor,” he told me. “They said they can’t give me a test if I’m not showing any symptoms. I think we just need to keep an eye on it.”
And so, we did. We self-quarantined as best as we could for 14 days, though he still had to go to work. It seemed every day, we’d wake up with a new, imaginary symptom only to have it fade throughout the day.
Alycia Cope, Tyler Cope’s younger sister who had been crashing on our couch for most of her summer vacation, said she, too, was suffering from the paranoia of not knowing. “I just wish we could get tested. Every time I get a head ache, I start freaking out,” she said.
After a few more days of trying to book appointments, we gave up trying. We were left to govern ourselves, becoming more paranoid as we reached our final day in self-quarantine. As far as we know, only Carswell and Grant’s health were affected. Carswell likened her symptoms to a bad case of strep throat while Grant is still waiting for her results. “I just don’t understand,” Alycia Cope said. “If it’s this difficult for us to even speak with someone, how can we rely on the numbers of confirmed cases we see on the news.”
