This is going to sound strange but I am pretty sure that if I did not have a J Pouch and was not getting Remicade, I would not have found out I tested positive for Covid as quickly as I did today.
Late Sunday and yesterday, I developed what seemed to me like symptoms of a routine cold. The only thing that seemed unusual or amiss is that I was sneezing unusually frequently and very aggressively, as if my sinuses really, really did not like what was inside them (which turned out to be Covids).
Late yesterday I made an appointment at one of Yale's drive up testing stations for this morning at 8:30 a.m. I have probably had at least 20 Covid swab tests at Yale's stations and all of them came back negative-never tested positive before in 2.5 years. I expected this test to be negative as well, so I went to work as usual.
I then got a call from the infusion center, which Yale also runs, at around 11:15 am. The conversation went something like this:
Yale employee: "Hi! I am calling from the Yale infusion center! We wanted to see if we can reschedule your infusion scheduled on Monday November 14 to some time the following week?"
Me: "Why?"
Yale Employee: "well, you tested positive for Covid so we need to reschedule it at least another week out. Could you tell me some dates that are good for you?"
Me: "This is the first I am hearing that I tested positive for Covid. I will need to call you back with dates because I have some other things to do first, namely, call the people I have been in contact with the last few days, not to mention my coworkers since I have been at work the past couple days."
Yale employee: "OK, call us when you have some alternate dates."
This call happened at around 11:15 a.m. I still do not have any email from Yale over their "MyChart" app confirming the positive test. I suppose that is coming, probably some time tonight. But if it were not for the fact that I had a Remicade scheduled on Monday, November 14, I would have been at work all day, and probably would have exposed my coworkers (I work with a small law firm staff of about 12).
Meanwhile, I am feeling OK. Just having some cold-like symptoms and a little bit fatigued. I am hoping I will test negative by next Monday and can get my Remicade the following week. I am on a 6 week cycle, and pushing it out to 7 probably will not be an issue. But another week with no Remicade after that, and things could get dicy.
This made me consider how many testing facilities call people once they get back a positive test, as opposed to the usual email of test results. Lives can be saved, perhaps, if people are given notice and a chance to isolate themselves and minimize their exposures to others. I believe that if I did not get that call when I did, most of my office would have been exposed to my Covid. I was fortunately in my office behind a closed door the whole morning before getting that call from Yale.
