The waiting was the hardest part.
Like many in the county, the state, the nation and the world, I came into contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, prompting me to get tested myself.
This marks the second time I have been tested since the pandemic began and the first time in my new home state.
The call to the Graham County Health Department went smoothly, and I was referred to the OptumServe testing site, near the library behind Robbinsville Elementary School. I waited in line in my car for a long time, but the first nurse – who dealt with registration and patient information – was surprisingly perky and cheerful for someone doing such a heavy job.
A second nurse dressed in full PPE conducted the test. The actual test was over in less than a minute, and I will say that the test here was a lot more gentle and comfortable than the test I received in Mississippi. That time, the nurse suck the swab so far into my nasal cavity that my eyes watered.
Then I had to play the waiting game for two days, with my results coming in via email on the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 6. I was negative, as was a colleague who was with me on the assignment.
I felt fine through the whole ordeal and bored myself to death, isolating in the tiny cabin I’m staying in and doing what work I could on my phone, trying my hardest to still contribute to the paper in a meaningful way.
It felt good walking back into the office on Thursday; that’s for sure. I’m glad I don’t have to isolate anymore and I will still be taking precautions as best I can.
Doing a job that puts me out in public and in the middle of large groups of people like a reporter does, being exposed to the virus was not surprising to me. I’m thankful that neither me nor my colleague tested positive, and I hope whoever tested positive initially – and everyone else who was at the site – is doing alright.
We’re going to get through this.
Charlie Benton is the staff writer for The Graham Star. He can be reached by phone, 479-3383; and email, news@grahamstar.com.