Get tested and do your part to safely reopen Arizona
The parking lot of the old Mesa Lutheran Hospital, now the Banner Corporate Center, is covered in white tents. It looks like some version of a festival, missing the Ferris wheel and cotton candy.
Only it isn’t a festival. It’s a COVID-19 testing site, and I am here after being attacked by a wicked virus that also hit my husband and three children.
It started in early April when my daughter came down with a high fever and dry cough — a lot like the symptoms of the new coronavirus. After four days of fever, we took her to the pediatrician, who prescribed antibiotics. The fever and cough raged on for six more days. Clearly, this was some sort of virus. Could it be that one?
My family disinfected our home and did our best to keep her apart from the rest of the family. When she recovered, I thought, “We beat it!”
We continued to take proactive, preventative measures like washing our hands more often and staying home as much as possible, even enthusiastically taking vitamin C and zinc drops. But then, a couple of days later, my two boys and I had high fevers and dry, incessant coughing, just like my daughter.
After a full week of fever, I called Banner urgent care for a telehealth visit because I didn’t want to risk infecting others at a pediatrician’s office. It was a great visit with kind and thorough doctors who prescribed antibiotics.
This was the day after the guidelines for COVID-19 testing were expanded, so I called Banner’s testing number, answered a few questions and made an appointment.
The next morning, a Saturday, I pulled into a scene that was chilling and reassuring all at once. Banner staff directed a steady stream of cars from one line to another, moving no worse than normal morning rush hour. Plus it was nice to be out of the house, even if an invasive nasal swab was my purpose.
I marveled at the people in the lines, responsible Arizonans who wanted to make sure they weren’t spreading a deadly virus. I have parents ages 80 and 73 who I’d like to see in person again!
My turn came. Nurses played music and showed off their dance moves as they signaled me to pull up. I rolled down my window and pulled down my mask. A nasal swab — one for each nostril — and it was over.
It stung. I teared up a bit. Then rolled up my window and went home.
By Monday, one of my sons took a turn for the worse, waking to a 105-degree fever. Our pediatrician sent us to the emergency room. Before leaving home, I went online and found my results. Negative! One piece of good news.
At the ER, we again explained our circumstances. A wonderful doctor took a closer look and found a raging ear infection, even though our son had started antibiotics nearly three days prior.
To be safe, the doctor gave him a COVID-19 test. Either my son is a real trooper, or they have a kinder, gentler version of this swab for kids, because he didn’t tear up! Meanwhile, the doctor suggested that if things didn’t improve to contact our pediatrician to change his antibiotics.
Later that evening, the hospital called with our test results — negative! We got a new course of antibiotics, and
Iby Thursday our son started to turn the corner — finally.
I work daily in health policy, but in my personal life I am a wife and mom who battled a nasty virus, got tested, and won. Throughout our monthlong drama exhibiting symptoms just like COVID-19, we were supported by incredible health care workers and were able to get tested. In March, the tests simply weren‘t available, but they are now.
To successfully get through this crisis, we need more people to get tested. A negative result from a diagnostic test doesn’t mean we should abandon social distancing and other precautions, because it’s still possible to become infected and get sick.
But testing is how experts will wrap their arms around the breadth and scope of this disease and how we will safely start returning people to their normal lives.
This is how we get back to having white tents mean there is a festival nearby.