Since last March, one worry which has remained at the back of my mind is that I may be unknowingly carrying Covid.
I have always wondered if I am a member of the unfortunate club passing it onto individuals going about their everyday life.
I’m 27 but I know passing it on to older people – many of whom had not been vaccinated until recently – could prove deadly.
Each venture out of the house poses questions; have I taken enough precautions when going to the supermarket for everyday essentials, keeping to the two meter distance and dousing my hands with sanitiser?
Is it wise to visit family members upon the easing of restrictions, before I have been vaccinated?
When the opportunity to get tested at the new mobile testing centre in Inverness presented itself, I relished the opportunity to get peace of mind at last.
The mobile testing unit is open for businesses within the car park at the Highland Council headquarters, offering drop-in appointments to all Inverness residents.
Launched in partnership with the Highland Council and NHS Highland, the eight-day scheme is being run to clamp down on any potential resurgence of the virus.
It is thought one in three coronavirus patients do not show any signs of infection and are therefore more at risk of spreading it.
How the test went?
I began to feel a little anxious upon arrival at the centre this morning – fear of the unknown, I think.
Prior to receiving my lateral flow test, two members of on-site staff patiently talked me through the process of how to register my details using my smartphone and my own signature bar code.
The process was a little tedious to say the least and took longer than expected; at times it felt as though they wanted to know everything but my shoe size.
The test overall took a matter of minutes to complete; a fraction of the time it took to register.
The centre itself, a converted HGV trailer, was simple in its design – housing several segregated rooms and two separate doors creating one-way system through the unit.
Upon entry, I was handed a sealed swab and given several instructions before moving down the corridor to one of several enclosed stations to start my test.
All I was required to do was swab both sides of my tonsils at the back of my throat for five seconds each side before using the same swab to take a sample from my nose.
Honestly, it wasn’t the most pleasant experience I have ever had but it’s a small hurdle to reap the reward at the end.
From there, your swab becomes a prized possession; taking you one step closer to obtaining those all-important results.
Carrying your swab to the end of the narrow corridor, you place it inside one of several pre-prepared test tubes where it is then processed.
All in all, it was a quick and painless process and one I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat in the future.
The waiting game
Leaving the council headquarters marked the start of what I believed would be an anxious wait for my results.
Experts say they can be generated and relayed to individuals in as little as 40 minutes or as long as 24 hours following completion of a test.
With a job in Dingwall looming, I began the 15-mile trip north pondering when I would hear of my results.
I even wondered about how a swiftly delivered positive result would throw my trip to the Ross County FC ground to scope out the counting facilities for the upcoming Scottish elections into turmoil.
To my relief, I received an email within 40 minutes of my test confirming a negative result.
I would encourage everyone to utilise this facility and complete a test at the mobile centre.
Throughout the course of the pandemic, many people have been left with unanswered questions.
This simple test – which offers one very important answer – will not only help protect you but your family, friends and community from the devastating impacts of Covid.
