My experience with Covid-19 Testing in Melbourne, Florida

I’m a bit confused, though.

I’m a healthcare worker, and I do 1–on-1 services in client’s homes. I don’t see client’s if they have stomachaches, but if they have coughs or runny noses, I still have to see them.

I’ve been wearing a mask, but lo and behold, I started to feel sick a week ago. I was 99% sure it was just a sinus infection, but I was told not to come to work. Great.

So, Monday I embarked on the process to find a testing site. By Wednesday, I had the Covid-19 test at a drive-up location in Melbourne, Florida. There’s just a few things I’m confused by.

Process

On Monday, I Googled several places, but they all showed the first available appointments were on the following Monday. No, that won’t work. Finally, a place had Wednesday as the first availability. I called the phone number, and sat through a 2 minute automated message telling me I can look up appointments online. Got it, already did that. Then, it told me that the person who will answer my call will not be making an appointment for me. Uhhh, excuse me? They will be taking my name and phone number to give to someone who will then call me back to set the appointment. Okay.

Hello, what is your name? Ashleigh Dominguez.

What’s your phone number? ***-***-****. Okay, thank you. Click.

That’s it?!

I waited. 4 hours later, I got a phone call stating that testing could be done Wednesday through Friday, and I could set an appointment at any time Wednesday. 8 am at opening was set.

I drove up to find several cars ahead of me, and a blue tent visible. My heart rate was 143 on my Apple Watch. I was so nervous, and documented the experience for my 5 friends and family members on Instagram.

The line started moving, and 2 professionals in PPE were taking licenses and insurance cards. I put my mask on to communicate with them, give them my cards, and received 2 papers with my cards. One paper required a signature, and the other was a lab authorization. I followed the car in front of me, and merged into a single file line. Heart rate was still sky high.

The man in front of me was visible through his side mirror, so I was able to watch the process before it happened to me. By the time the woman finished swabbing his nose, he was crying and rubbing his face. He drove off. My turn.

I recorded myself having the test done to show my family. I’ll save you the ridiculous sounds I made while it was being done, but I’ll show you a few screenshots.

Skip these images if you get queazy seeing a giant cotton swab in someone’s nose.

Next, I went upstairs to have antibody testing. A pin prick at the tip of my finger was placed onto what looked like a pregnancy test. She said she’d be back in 10 minutes. A few minutes and some Instagram scrolling later, she came back to say my antibody test was negative.

Here’s what confused me about the experience:

1.Why is the testing drive-up, yet I have the option to go inside for antibody testing? It’s true. Drive up for testing, then you can park and go inside, use the elevator, and go to the second floor for antibody testing. Why let me go inside for that? It might be simpler to have testing done outside for that as well.

2.Why did I leave without any information? I left with no information. Both papers I was handed at the first tent were turned in to the staff. The first page was turned in to the lady who swabbed me, and the second was turned in to the woman upstairs. At least when I visit an ER, I am left with documentation, follow-up information, and specific instructions on what to do next.

3.As a healthcare worker, why is it taking 3–5 days to receive results? I’ve heard from many others that results vary from same day results, to over a week.

Now, it is Monday. My test was last Wednesday. I checked the website, and no information was on the website about where test results would be sent or posted. I drove back to the testing site, and talked to a sweet woman who took down my email. I went home. I was able to set my login information, and see the site.

3 hours later, I received a phone call that my test results were negative. Excellent!! Except, my company won’t let me go back to work without the pdf version of the results, which hasn’t been updated in the system yet.

I’m in a bind, yet again. On the bright side, I was able to finally go to urgent care to get treated for the sinus infection I knew I had the entire time.