So Monday morning I went to get tested. I wanted to have a negative result for my Rheumatologist appointment Tuesday evening. Per the website you should allow an hour for testing and expect the results in 24-72 hours. I wanted to post about my experience in case someone else wanted to go to this testing site to give more realistic expectations. Plus it is history in the making.

Here I am at 10:34, about 5 minutes after I arrived. I apologize if anyone’s vehicle is recognizable. I am waiting in a double line. We were instructed to keep our windows and sunroofs closed.

Here I am at 10:37. You can see the first tent. It is getting warm in the car. So far I can make it tolerable by blasting the air conditioner while I move ahead in line and then turn my engine off. I am looking at stuff in my phone to stay occupied.

Here it is 11:25.  You can see three tents now (two are shown in the photo).  I am at the front of the line to be directed to another line.  

11:25 still.  Here are the lines I am about to be directed to.  

11;29.  I am in my new line.  On the sign on the tents it says not to leave your engine running while you are in this line.  It is getting quite warm in my car.

11:46.  I am about 1/2 way down this line.  In the line to the right of me there is a broken down car.  Fortunately there was a police officer who tried to help.  They let a couple of cars around this one and then brought an electric cart over and I presume jump started it and got the car running again.  I am glad they have help like this.

11:53.  Getting closer.  There are people coming out of the tents to gather information from the cars ahead of me.  They have their masks and stand 6 feet away while you lower your window for instructions.  Then you close your window and hold your drivers license and insurance card up to the window while they take photos of them.  When no one was nearby, I did start my engine up a couple of times for the AC.  It was getting quite hot.  

12:05.  I made it through the first tent which is just for registration.  Now I am in line for the second tent.  A lady in PPE came out and described the process.  She then brought out a swab which I grabbed the end of.  I closed my window and rotated this swab just inside of both nostrils.  When I was done she held the tube next to my slightly opened window, and I placed the swab in the tube.  It was all very sanitary.  

After the people ahead of me finished their swabs I got to leave.  It was around 12:15.  So it took almost 2 hours.  I was late for an appointment.  Once you are in line there is no reasonable way to get out.  You just need to wait.  The second hour I had done all I could think of with my phone so it was just listening to a podcast.  

They gave me a sheet describing how I was to get my results which was a text message.  They said it would take 72 hours.  I actually received a text the next evening, but I didn’t realize it was my results.  All it said was “negative”.  Today when I reread the sheet I finally appreciated that this was my result.  So that is the process for getting tested for coronavirus at Skagit’s Drive-Thru Testing.  I have had two of the nasopharyngeal swabs at the ARC and one antibody test.  All negative.  This test was much nicer on my nose but was definitely a time commitment and a sauna.