We found out recently that Kevin’s friend’s father tested positive for COVID-19. His friend was coming to visit Kevin about once a week. He’d spend these evenings with Kevin in the basement and they’d watch videos and play videogames. We have little to no contact with his friend, and usually only see him when we go down the basement for something or when his freind comes upstairs to use the restroom.

We didn’t know if his friend had even gotten tested himself, but found out recently that he hadn’t. I messaged him and asked him to get tested, since he was at our house recently. He replied with only a “Gotcha”. Apparently his employer told him that if he didn’t have any symptoms, don’t worry about it, so we don’t think he intends to get tested, or at least not immediately.

We, on the other hand, are concerned for ourselves, so we’re getting tested. Over the weekend I tried to get Sandy and I scheduled for a test, but this turned out to be much more difficult than we expected. First of all, there are apparently no testing places in Kenosha that work over the weekend–or at least none that I could find. Monday was the soonest, apparently. I chose the CVS drive-thru testing site, as Sandy knows exactly where this is since we get several of our medications there. I scheduled the date and time for her, then the site starts you on a live 15-minute count-down timer at the top of a long form. So you have exactly 15 minutes to complete the form or your scheduled time will be cancelled. It asks for all of your basic identity information as well as your insurance information. It’s very frustrating and nerve-wracking when you know you’re in a time crunch to complete the form, so this made it much more difficult. After entering all of the required information correctly (after several errors and corrections) I successfully submitted the form with about 2 minutes left on the clock. I really don’t see how a normal person would complete this form in the 15 minutes alotted. I used a lot of auto-fill information from LastPass and still came close to running out of time.

So that was scheduled for Monday, and Sandy went on got the test done. She said they give you the testing stuff, then you do the cotton swaps up the nostrils yourself, seal up the kit, and drop it in a bin on your way out of the drive-thru.

On Monday morning at work I called my doctor’s office and asked if they do COVID-19 testing. They said no, they only test for antibodies, but provided me with several Kenosha-area testing locations. I checked with my boss and he said there’s a close one right down the street. Since I work at a hospital, he didn’t recommend I get tested here, as it requires an ER visit, so a full ER charge would be incurred.

I googled “COVID testing near me”, and Google was very helpful, providing the address of the testing site my boss was referring to, along with these important notes:

• Appointment not required
• Referral not required
• Testing for all patients
• Drive-through
• 8am-4pm, 7 days a week. Daily until 750 tests are completed.

I went on my lunch hour and it was quick. They give you a paper form to complete as you’re waiting in line to drive through the tent, but no pen to fill it out. Luckily I was able to find one in my car. (they should note that in the Google page – bring a pen!)

The form seemed much shorted than the online for I filled out for Sandy’s test – Identity information and insurance numbers, that’s about it. A second page was informational, which you just keep. They come up to your window once you’ve completed the form, have you keep your mask on over your mouth but pull it down below your nose, then they put a cotton swab up one nostril and spin it around (made my eyes water), then they do the same in the other nostril.

After that you’re done and 4-8 days later I’ll get a phone call with the results. They won’t leave the results in a voicemail, you have to talk to them. The details on the information sheet were kind of confusing about that–if you can’t answer the phone, will they at least leave a message telling you that your results are ready and asking you to call them to get your results? I’m not sure. They only stressed that the call will come from an “888” number and I need to answer it. I’ll be waiting.

That leaves Kevin. Yesterday I took Kevin to the testing station over his lunch break, and things were a bit different this time. When I went on Monday, there were 3 cars ahead of me lined up to pull into the tent – two lines, two sides of the tent. When I brought Kevin there, the huge parking lot was packed and cars were lining up on Sheridan road to get into the parking lot! They have traffic cones throughout the lot so the cars snake around the outside of the lot and eventually into the two sides of the testing tent. I estimated about 70-80 cars in each of the double lines in the lot in front of us, as well as 10 cars in a single line on the street in front of us. Quite a difference from yesterday! Unfortunately it took is about 80-90 minutes in line before we got into the tent and tested. That part was quick, and we were out.

I think the biggest thing slowing that whole process down was the paper form – there’s one guy in the parking lot and he hands the form to the next couple of cars in each of the two lines, but that’s it. A lot of people don’t have the form completed when they drive into the tent, and they won’t test you without the signed form, so they wait for you to complete the form at that point. If people could get the form when they ENTER the lot, they’d have like an entire hour or more to get it completely filled out and signed so they’re ready by the time they get up to the tent. It’s simple logic. I even saw a couple people complaining and two people from way back in the line even walked up to the guy and asked for the forms and talked to him–probably suggesting the same thing–but nothing changed, he kept doing it the same way–probably because he’d only grab a few forms at a time, hand them out, then go get a few more from the tent. Ever hear of a cart, or maybe a backpack.? Oh well.

We’re pretty confident sure all of our test results will be negative, but didn’t want to take a chance, especially with Kevin and I also working five days a week in a hospital containing COVID patients. We’ll see what happens.