The Covid Test

The Covid tests went good and bad.

Singapore does the invasive ones that through your nose to the back of your throat. It sounds worse than it is. That one left me with a weird scratchy feeling at the top of my throat for about 24 hours. If your doing that one bring a water bottle or a hard candy to suck on after the test.

MsI didn't have to get a test to enter Canada because she was under 5. To enter Singapore, it's under 7. The rest of us needed a test.

Jonathan and I had no problem doing it. You just tip your head all the way back leaning your head against the wall and are told to breathe through your mouth as they do the test. That's actually the weirdest part - it feels unnatural to breathe through your mouth with you head tipped so far back. MsC was a pro, and looked like she'd done this test before. She said she just really wanted "to see Granny".

MsE was thoroughly creeped out. She could hardly watch. It took her at least 5 minutes to get to the chair when it was her turn. When she finally did get there, the doctor just touched her first nostril and she was out of that chair like a shot.

After that, I ended up having to lie down on the examination table and hold her head and arms while the nurse held her legs, but at least it was over fast. MsE said, "I'm never doing that again." But at least the doctor knew what she was doing (Doctor's Anywhere, Anson Clinic.

Sorry, MsE just 2 more Covid tests to go.

Less than 18 hours later we had our negative results by email. They had been promised within 24 hours, but we'd been told to give ourselves 30 hours just to be on the safe side. I verified everyone's details on their negative certificates only to discover that MsE's birthday was entered wrong on her certificate.

The email said to call the clinic where the tests had been administered if there were any errors, so I called only to discover that the clinic was closed Saturdays and Sundays. It was Saturday morning and we were flying out Sunday. I was momentarily distressed over the idea of having MsE potentially re-do her Covid test at a new clinic. There would have probably been enough time to get the results in although it would have been very tight. Luckily, we had used a "Doctor's Anywhere" Clinic, and I was able to find a 24 hour phone number for them.

Just a quick phone call and few minutes later, I had an updated certificate for MsE in my email.

When we checked in at the airport, the desk pointed out that MsE's certificate was wrong. Oops, sorry, we must have given you the one with the wrong birthday...just a second while we find it.

But no, actually it was her passport that was wrong. I had been so worried about getting her birthday corrected, that I had forgotten to verify her passport number.

At least I already had the 24 hour number in my phone, because 3:30 am at the airport check in counter is a lousy time to try to find anything. The clinic was able to quickly update MsE's certificate again. I asked the clinic to stay on the line with us until the airline was able to check that the certificate was entirely correct. Then we were finally able to check in our luggage and proceed with our travels.

When we reached Canada, we were surprised to find that they're doing a different Covid test. They just rub the inside of you cheek with a swab and then the very front part of each nostril. The swab only goes in about 1 cm. We pre-booked our test for arrival, which is in theory faster, but we still had to wait in line.

I think the pre-booking just registered our passport information, but we still had to verify it while standing too close to the family at the next desk beside us. The test happens after you've cleared customs, and picked up your luggage. You can't get lost, it just snakes you along through the airport. After verifying our info at the desk, we were sent along with our luggage carts to have our samples taken. One last line and they sent MsC and Jonathan with their too luggage carts down to the other end to get their tests together. I ended up at seat one with MsI, MsE, a stroller and a luggage cart. As soon as Jonathan was gone I knew I was going to have a problem.

Number one, how was I supposed to watch MsI while MsE and me got our tests? I just had to hope she stood there. She sort of did. It was MsE who ran off. The nurse kept trying to get MsE to watch me get my test to show her it was no big deal, and so she probably did my test 3 times, how long it took didn't reasure MsE at all.

Actually, I'm pretty sure everything the nurse did made things worse. After chasing MsE down a few times and hoping that MsI was somewhere around me, I had MsE in the chair on my lap, but she wouldn't open her mouth. The nurse kept asking her nicely and we kept trying to explain that it wasn't like the test in Singapore. We'd already been here at least 5 minutes, still no sign of Jonathan.

I told the nurse I was going to have to hold MsE, and she was going to have to just do the test. That's when I realized they had no plan for kids who refused the test in the Airport. Nothing! No plan. This nurse had no idea what to do.

There was no where to even lie MsE down. I considered putting her on the filthy floor, but I didn't think this nurse was going to know what to do if I did and I didn't want to lie on the floor myself. The booths are open, so we were already being started at by all the people in line and each person who had to walk down to their spot. By now MsE was screaming ,as I was holding her tightly on my lap to keep her from running away, and the nurse looked shocked and slightly terrified.

Then I realized that we couldn't even start until I got MsE's mouth open. I have no idea why she didn't bite my fingers, but I am certain my other 2 kids would have bit me if I had put 2 fingers in their mouth in the same situation. At this point another 2 nurses came around the corner and held MsE's arms and legs down - MsE was still on my lap. The Nurse finally swabs her mouth and then says, "There you go not so bad," MsE replies, "Are we done?" No sorry, just 2 nasal swab to go. Even the other nurse looked at the person administering the test and said, "That is not how you do this!," angrily. Anyhow, way too much incompetence, but then we got to leave the airport.

Day 8, we get to give MsE the same test in quarantine. It has to happen, otherwise MsE gets 14 days more quarantine added on to her quarantine.

It's taken 4 adults to give MsE each of these tests, but we're supposed to do it with only 2 of us. MsC offered to help, but I'm certain that's not a good idea. We're hoping that without the added pressure of the medical personnel and less time pressure, maybe MsE will do the test to herself, because 22 days of quarantine would really be a long time.