My COVID-19 moment

I cannot say I had a brush with COVID-19 last week, but its breath came close enough to warm my check, changing the last two work days for my staff and me. Here is what happened.

Tuesday night I had dinner at the Tav with a friend, a leisurely, catch up, unmasked meal.

Wednesday night Zee – not his real name – told me that he was called by a friend with whom earlier Tuesday he had a couple of beers with and spent most of the afternoon. The friend told him his partner had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Zee had had his two vaccinations, the second over two weeks ago, and I am even luckier: It has been three weeks since my second vaccine dose.

Zee said his friend was getting tested Thursday, so I hung up and made a list of everyone I had seen and the places I had stopped while delivering Wednesday’s Weekly News. I tallied 21. Two greeted me passing by on the street. Others I had longer conversations with, both out of and indoors. And I ate lunch out Wednesday. More, three staff people were in the newspaper office Wednesday, Michelle, the general manager, all day.

I called Michelle 8:20 a.m. Thursday. We had a long planning discussion, agreeing for the rest of the week to have only one person at the office and not allow visitors.

I texted staffers Bill and Marissa that I would call them. When we talked I summarized what you have read here and suggested they stay home or minimize social contract.

Zee called Thursday afternoon to report his friend had tested negative and planned to test again Monday. We agreed that the science is uncertain on if vaccinated people are carriers. Since I have written months of articles and several editorials about following public health guidelines, I knew I would lie low until my test results this midweek.

I continued calling people I spoke with Wednesday. I decided not to call the folks I passed on the street.

Monday I got tested, since an incubation period is needed for a more accurate result. Since Skagit Public Health has reduced its testing site days to Tuesdays and Fridays, I went to the health department’s website and chose Skagit Regional Health, one of the 12 general public coronavirus testing sites open now and after the County site closes March 12. Their clinic takes walk-ins from the public. It is a billed service. I trust my insurance will pay.

I spent 15-plus minutes at the front counter and a couple of minutes with the staff person who swabbed both my nostrils. I will get the results within 72 hours through MyChart, their health information tracking system.

The last thing I want to be is a Typhoid Mary. The second last thing I want to be is a hypocrite.

What I want the most is for the coronavirus to be done with us. As the new director of the Centers for Disease Control said in a radio news story, “We might be done with the virus, but it is not done with us.”

My working on being responsible and consistent is the best I can do to support my community.

So I decided to write this and share my story.