The Covid-19 Test - and quarantine

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.

The quarantine food delivered to our door in trays.

I ask myself, do I really want to remember this? Do you really want to read it?

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

https://www.moh.gov.sg/

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

The End of Quarantine For My Family Stuck In A Singapore Hotel - On Stay Home Notice

 Singapore to the UK

With members of my family living in four countries, we communicate more by video and Whatsapp than we meet in person. But a wedding in the UK meant some of us had to travel. We were self-isolating in the UK.

From the UK to Singapore 

In Singapore we had to pay and go back into quarantine in a hotel for two weeks. At the airport in Singapore, Changi, we were directed to an area where we had to fill in a form about our direction of travel, answer questions about whether we had any symptoms, then have a temperature check.

We were directed to a bus where the passengers family groups sat separated in different areas of the bus. We all drove across the city to an unknown destination. We arrived at Orchard Hotel in the centre, a block back from Orchard Road. 

I was very happy to have a window overlooking the street, Tanglin Road, and the lights. but no fresh air, just air conditioning. However, the sealed windows kept out traffic noise and our room was very quiet, no noise from TVs, plumbing. 

Them Checking Us

Officials phoned our hotel bedroom phone to check we were there a couple of times a week and also appeared at the door and asked our names and our numbers from our passports or Singapore identity cards. 

We were looking online for thermometers. We ordered a thermometer to be sent to our home to check the temperature of our coolbox to be sure our food remained safe.

We arrived in the evening. A day or two later, a thermometer was delivered for us to take our temperature twice a day.

Covid-19 Nose Test

Four days before departure, we were called down to the fourth floor where all the residents on stay Home Notice were being tested.

We got in the lift and there was a nasty moment when the lift went nowhere. We saw that you needed a keycard to operate the lift, but we had no keycard. 

The porter with our luggage on arrival had been given a one time only door entry card for our bedroom.

We thought we were trapped. We looked for an emergency help button. Then the lift went down. The movement was imperceptible. But we saw the numbers of the floors appearing digitally on a small screen and the door opened. We wondered if the people monitoring our arrival had delayed us to stagger the arrival times.

Exit From Quarantine

The hotel staggered our check-out times. 

It was strange to drive through the city. Where we would once have been shocked by the restriction of everybody walking around wearing masks, now we were revelling in our freedom. We could ride a taxi through the street, not just look down on the street from a window. 

We could breathe fresh air. The air wasn't that fresh. Polluted city air. Not like a sea breeze. But at least is was air, not recycled hotel air con air.

We can go for a walk outdoors. We can go for a swim. We can wave at our neighbours, not just retreat from strangers.

It reminds me of the goat story, one of my family's favourites. More tomorrow.

Useful Websites

Singapore Ministry of Health

www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19 

Helpline 6812 5555.

World Health Organization

www.who.int

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

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

Covid-19 In the UK, and Quarantine in a hotel in Singapore - my family's experience

 

This year I have had family in Singapore, family in Malaysia, family in London, a family wedding in London, family all over the world, day surgery in the UK at a hospital, and family in hotel quarantine in Singapore. Here are some of the Covid-19 quarantine experiences. I shall start with the UK experiences, and then Singapore.

The Covid-19 Test In The UK

Before going into hospital for day surgery, my family member had to take a Covid-19 test. This was from a tent in the hoptal car park. You drove your own car up to the tent. You filled in a form. A long pole reaches out and takes the swab. 

Heathrow

A delay on check in because in addition to the ticket, the passengers had to show various documents, such as their status as a Singaporean or permanent resident. You needed wifi and a working mobile phone or a Singapore identity card, not your British passport which is usually enough for travel

 When the airline staff tried to phone offices in Singapore, with a time difference it was the middle of the night in Singapore and nobody was answering.

Going through security, everybody was separated by social distancing. Much more civilised. No jostling.

At Heathrow the Singapore Airlines lounge was closed, like all the other lounges except one. The buffet area had marks on the floor. The O'Brien (Yes, Irish) chocolate pot was great. I kept the small see-through plastic box. This proved handy later for food in a hotel room.

Masks in Singapore

Singapore had only 28 fatalities by November 2020. Everybody wears masks except children The government issues 4 mask per household every couple of months. 

Quarantine Costs In Singapore

The cost of quarantine on returning was reputed to be about 2,000 Singapore dollars per person, covering two weeks in a hotel bedroom, with airline style meals delivered three times a day, but it might be slightly less money for a couple sharing. This sounded less than the quarantine costs in Australasia.

A small coach took just three families to our hotel. 

We had a tour of the city, not knowing where we were going.

We arrived at the Orchard Hotel.

Orchard Hotel, Singapore

We passed the main checkin and went to another check set up outside a back entrance which I presume was a ballroom. During checkin we were asked if we wanted a double bed or two singles. Up in the lift to our hotel bedroom.

Orchard Hotel Bedroom, Singapore

Seventh floor. Window overlooking the street and Christmas lights. (Secural lights.) I was delighted.

I thought the hotel was in Orchard Road. Photos from the window showed the Xmas sstreet lights. the hotel is actually a block back, facing the Rendez-vous hotel which is on the corner.

On check-in my family was told the evening meal was being prepared. With one person having a shellfish allergy, and a meal with main course in oyster sauce being delivered, the meal had to be sent back. They should have checked allergies on check-in.

The quarantined residents get no door key. No need. You are not allowed to leave until check-out two weks later. What would happen in a fire or fire alarm?

Checking Phone Call

One government phone caller checking we were quarantined asked us our identity and asked us to turn on the video to show we were in the room.

Personal Identity Check

Every couple of days, two reps, one male and one female, from the local commnity assocation, knock on the door to check you are there and confirm your name and identity card number.  

It is actually good to see a human face at the door.  They wear masks. You wear masks. 

Food Delivery

You don't see the person who drops off your food. They knock and run away, both in a hurry and to avoid catching Covid-19.

The hotel gave residents (inmates!), a menu for week one and two. The menus did not match what we received. In week two we realised the reason. Week one was not the first week you arrived, but the first week of their two week cycle. We arrived in what they called week two. The second week we were on menu one.

The airline style meals seemed geared for the local Chinese diet. We had noodles once a day and rice twice or three times a day. Ni sign of other types of pasta or any potato, except a couple of rounds of has borwnies with one of the breakfasts.

When I asked for no shellfish, no crustaceans, no olluscs, I got a slightly different meal.

We changed to Indian breakfasts which were much better for us. We received different Indian breads every day.

Ordering In

Then we started odering fresh vegetables, fruit and yogurt from outside. We used Food Panda. You have many other options for delivery. 

You can have anything delivered. It arrives somewhere downstairs and the hotel staff bring it up. Usual system. Knock at the door and they scarper. What you cannot do is send anything out, except the daily rubbish, once a day collection, sealed in a large plastic bag.

You can order electronics for your computer, wine, food, anything you like.

What did I love about the hotel?

1 The big fluffy bath towels. 

2 The light weight duvets.

3 The street view.

Useful Websites

Singapore Covid-19 news and updates

https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19

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

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

Orchard Hotel, Orchard Road grand clock

The grand clock in the lobby of Orchard Hotel .