I know this isn’t necessarily directly a TR related post but a lot of you have been asking questions related to getting tested and so I figured it would be easier to make a post addressing them all. This way it can also be shared around and more people will have their questions answered.
I’ll be describing my personal experience with getting tested but I want to remind you that if you haven’t been tested yet, it may not be the exact same for you. Every facility runs their testing sites a little bit differently and while the test is the same, not everyone describes it the same way.
Were you scared to get tested?
I want to be completely honest with you, I was absolutely terrified of being tested. It wasn’t the results I worried about though, it was the test itself. I had heard so many horror stories about the pain you feel during and the hours or days of discomfort that follow afterwards. I was more scared of getting the test than I was getting my foot tattoo, which if you know anything about foot tattoos, they aren’t pleasant.
I want to make it clear though, THERE IS NO REASON TO BE SCARED OF THE TEST.
So what does getting tested feel like?
Well, I’m not going to lie to you and say it’s a great feeling because I’d be lying. It is uncomfortable. With that said, it’s not scary and its not overly painful. I would describe it as a slight burning sensation on the inside of your nose for a very short period of time.
To ensure I’m being upfront about my answers I want to add that I do have somewhat of a good pain tolerance. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I have a great pain tolerance but I can handle a little more pain than the average person.
How long does the test take?
All of the comments that I have seen about how long the tests have taken were incredibly accurate to my experience. While I didn’t time it, I would say that the test only took about 5 seconds to complete.
There were others getting tested around me and for some the test did take longer but only because they kept pulling away. For one women, they actually needed to go in 4 or 5 times because she kept pushing them away. So the more still you sit, the easier it will be.
A little tip I’ve heard multiple times is to close your eyes and just focus on breathing slowly out of your mouth. I followed it and it made the process a lot smoother for me!
What does it feel like after the test is done?
Once the swab has been removed from your nose, the slight burning I felt ended almost immediately. The slight burning sensation might have continued for a few seconds after but it wasn’t enough that I realized. There is definitely a lingering discomfort when the test is complete However. It honestly feels a lot like you need to sneeze. I induced a sneeze by looking into the sun and that helped a lot!
For most people, your eyes WILL water. Out of the 8 or so people that got swabbed around me, I was the only person that didn’t need a tissue to wipe my eyes. So for you ladies out there, I would suggest waterproof mascara or just opt to not wear any.
How long does it take to get the results back?
This I cannot answer. Every town, community, area, province and even country are different. Some people have the option of getting a rapid test while others have to wait for their results.
For me personally, I got tested Saturday at around noon and I had my results by Monday evening.
I have heard stories of some people getting their results in under a day and others having to wait a week or more. It all depends on the facility that is doing the testing, how many tests need to be done, ect.
To be safe, I would say expect to wait at least 3-4 days for your results.
Have a question I didn’t ask? Feel free to drop a comment and I will happily respond!