The temperature test tell you and others whether you are already showing symptoms. It does not catch asymptomatic people who could be immune, or strong and healthy enough to fight it off but risk infecting others who might be inconvenienced, off work, or endangered.
I was dreading the nose swabbing Covid-19 test. So many people said it was painful.
I was also afraid it would infect me, damage me, or cause some unexpected reaction. I believe in Murphy's law. Anything which can go wrong will do so. (Sorry to alarm you. Read on. The good news is at the end.)
The nasal swab was just as bad as I feared. I had started worrying about it weeks in advance, in England. Fortunately, as the time got nearer, I stopped worrying about it, on the grounds that I could not avoid it and worrying about it would achieve nothing except make me miserable in the days before, first in the UK, and later in Singapore.
My husband had had the same swab test in London, England, in the car park of a hospital.
He had not been bothered by it.
Then when we reached Changi airport in Singapore.
No test at the airport. Just temperature checks and interrogation.
Then into the coach and off to the unknown hotel
We were in quarantine in the Orchard Hotel in Singapore.
I was delighted that we did not have to get ourselves to a test centre. The authorities and the hotel had organized all the tests to take place in the hotel. That saved us the stress of getting there. It saved having potentially infectious people escaping the hotel and travelling around in vehicles which could be used by others, as well as exposing the driver.
On the day we were phoned to go down to the fourth floor.
On our floor we were all social distancing around the lift lobby, hanging back, letting one person or couple at a time use the lift.
When we got into the lift the doors closed. My husband pressed the button but the lift did not move. We could tell by the number appearing in a box at the height of the top of the door. He read that you could only operate the lift using the bedroom door keycard. We had no keycard because during quarantine we were not allowed to exit the room and re-enter.
Eventually the lift moved. We arrived at the fourth floor, with a masked man in front of us and the floor covered in plastic.
We were directed to a sign in desk. Identity. Room? Symptoms?
Next the line for the test. I felt we were too close together.
The area was marked with colours for degree of danger. Red was the desk at the far end. The person doing the test on the right. The supervisor on the left. The chair for the victim with its back to everybody else and the desk facing an open door, in the middle.
After nearly two weeks in a room with windows which did not open, and air conditioning, it was good to see an open door and fresh air.
I sat down. The nurse put something into my right nostril. The surprise made me jump.
She withdrew it and said she could not do the swab and had to try again.
This happened four times.
Everything stopped. The lineup was growing behind me.
If we could not succeed, I would have to go to hospital.
Would they give me an anesthetic? No. Just the same thing again. Might as well do it here.
I then had the bright idea that we should change to the left nostril.
The supervisor called my husband over. He is normally a no nonsense person. Not overly sympathetic to fears nor delays. I expected him to tell me to shut up and get on with it.
However, he could see that this would not work. He stroked my back and told me to relax and a minute later it would all be over. Just stay still
He held my hand.
They inserted it in the left nostril. I kept very rigid. It didn't stop. She went round and round. And round and round again.
Then it was over. Success!
By now a crowd of others waiting.
So glad it was over.
Just the next question was, what would the result be?
A day or two later, we had a phone call. Test negative.
No written evidence. We wanted a written report. In case we had to show it to anybody.
We were now 'all clear'.
However, we had to continue the quarantine.
It is important to know how to cope. It could be a historic account.
I definitely do not want to repeat the invasive test. I look forward to the development of a non-invasive test.
However, the quarantine was fine. I am more tolerant of airline type food than my husband. I am also prepared to eat unhealthy food, lots of rice and no fresh vegetables except the occasional apple with breakfast.
We were out - into the hotel. What a delight.
Into the city. Trees, people, buildings, vistas.
That test was my passport to freedom.
Useful Websites
Singapore government health
To verify whether a call is genuine check
MOH hotline at 1800-333-9999.
A guide to sources of information worldwide
https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Articles-l297-COVID_2019.html
About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, fashionista. Please share links to your favourite posts or one or more of the blogs
Books include Wedding Speeches and Toasts (Ward Lock/Cassell)
Quick Quotations (Lulu.com)
travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com
dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com
Useful Websites & Resources
https://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/
https://www.wiki-calendar.com/
https://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.com/2020/12/how-to-write-christmas-card-poem.html
For one hour online individual tutorials or group workshops contact
annalondon8@gmail.com
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