I was tested for Covid-19 in Lancashire and it all went a bit wrong | Nicola Adam column

You know that scene in ET?
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The one where our adorable extra terrestrial visitor, a little under the weather, gets strapped into a tent and subjected to a barrage of tests by strangers in suits and masks.

Well, it was no coincidence the theme tune was my earworm as I was tested for Covid-19.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

READ LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWSAfter weeks of coughing, exhaustion,late night wheezing, a viral skin reaction and muttering ‘hay fever’ as an excuse on Zoom meetings, I had finally been persuaded that perhaps I did not - as I had self diagnosed - have a sinus infection or late onset asthma or just a bad case of working from home-itis.

Coronavirus testingCoronavirus testing
Coronavirus testing

I might have the disease we have been writing about every day as journalists and that has entirely changed our world.

Or I might not.

Either way, it became clear I needed to rule it out before the doc could treat me for anything else chest-related.

So online I went to book my test, finding to my surprise, there were lots of available appointments at my nearest testing site - Preston’s College - on the Monday.

So far so good.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Next up I received a text confirming I had an appointment - I was to receive an email with my crucial barcode for scanning.

Then a text arrived saying that due to technical problems, I might not get a barcode (I didn’t) but to turn up anyway.

The Monday morning was boiling.

So it was already with a faint air of unreality (to be fair I hadn’t left the house for many weeks due to self-isolation) we drove easily into the testing area where there was practically no-one else at the huge site apart from well-protected staff manning a series of stations.

With no barcode for man number one to scan through my window, there was fair amount of understanding eye-rolling from staff muttering about system crashes making their life difficult.

Clearly this was not a new issue.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So I rang the number he held up on a piece of paper from five centimetres away and was advised of the process whilst staring onto his eyes through the glass.

This was the first of several surreal phone conversations with friendly masked strangers through the window as I made my way from station-to-station before finally picking up my testing kit - which was delivered somewhat comically through the rear passenger window.

Opting to swab myself - I read through the instructions in the parked car and stuck a stick in my mouth and up my nose before sealing my kit and driving out via a few more checking stations.

It took around half an hour and going home to scan my QR code and add my details as instructed.

And the result?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I waited and waited some more for the elusive email or text. I made one phonecall, then another.

But weeks later I’m still waiting and an investigation into my missing result is underway- and I’m not the only one according to those on the helpline.

I'm told by a nice lady on the phone they will find my test or it may have been, as she described it, 'gone astray'.

So I may never now know if I had coronavirus.

But several weeks on I’m feeling a lot better thank goodness. Not everyone is that lucky and I'm grateful for that every day.

I may even phone home.

If you think you may need a Covid-19 test there is a link to advice and guidance HERE

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.