A funny thing happened at the office the other day. Well, at the time, it wasn’t funny for any of us. But now we can laugh about it – at least some of us can! A handful of people came down with the flu. Remember that? Depending on who you talk to, the flu is COVID-19’s less lethal albeit extremely annoying sister or cousin. We were all basically able to avoid the winter flu because we were shut up in our houses as we watched the world descend into total COVID-19 chaos. Then there were the usual spring sniffles thanks to Beijing’s infamous catkins infestation. But we also dodged that bullet. Most of us were still working from home well into spring and the majority of public spaces weren’t open. Those spots that were open enforced strict social distancing policies accompanied by mandatory mask-wearing. Then summer rolled in, normally accompanied by the summer sniffles, but we were able to avoid those. That is, until Beijing returned to a semblance of normalcy after the threat of a second COVID-19 wave. Suddenly, we had our summer back, and all the usual expat haunts have been operating at capacity ever since. And it is in such spaces and with such sustained contact that we are likely to pick up that pesky, contagious flu bug.
The COVID-19 testing site right outside Chaoyang Hospital’s main entrance.
Which brings us to the funny event at the office, when some of us began to complain about sore throats and even mild fevers. It is safe to say that the words sore throat and fever shall never sound the same again in a post-COVID-19 world. This is why I, being one of those suffering from these symptoms, had to get a COVID-19 test; if not for my own peace of mind, then for those in the office.
It was pretty simple really. I went to Chaoyang Hospital to get my nucleic acid test. It cost a total of RMB 120 for the test and I picked up my results 24 hours later. But if you have never had a COVID-19 test, there are a couple of things to keep in mind beforehand.
- Please be sure to bring your passport along. You will need it.
- It is recommended that you not have any food or drink at least half an hour before the test is done.
- Also, do not brush your teeth before the test. It’s a good idea to get a portable toothbrush to do the needful once the test is done.
When you arrive, you will be expected to fill in a standard information form, including your name, contact information, and whether or not you might have been to any high-risk areas in Beijing, or whether you have been around anyone who has displayed any COVID-19 symptoms. Next, you will be ushered to where the information on your passport is registered, after which you can pay for your test. You get a bar-code sticker that will be used to track your test and also will be used to retrieve your results when they are ready for collection.
From registration to payment, to testing, the process is fairly straightforward and fast!
Now, I know the test itself is the most dreaded part for most of us. We have all seen the photos and videos of medical staff poking swabs into people’s noses. It just looks plain uncomfortable and painful. But that doesn’t happen at Chaoyang Hospital. They actually take a mouth swab, scraping the back end of your mouth gently to retrieve the sample. It’s over before you know it. I dare say it would not be an uncomfortable experience even for those with extremely sensitive gag reflexes. It took altogether 15 minutes. I went in the afternoon so there weren’t that many people queued up. If you would rather prefer to have it done in the morning, they start at 8.00 am and break at 11.30 am. Then they resume from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm. Results are to be collected the next day between 3.00 pm and 4.00 pm.
What’s the moral of the story? As far as I am concerned, maybe masks aren’t bad in the meantime if only to keep the flu and the potential panic of a possible COVID-19 outbreak away!
KEEP READING: Hotel Family Quarantine: It Has Made my Children More Resilient
Photos: Courtesy of Mark Allan Karanja
