On Friday night my throat felt scratchy. I wondered if I’d wake up with a sore throat, but I assumed it was just exhaustion. I frequently feel, at the end of the day, that I’m coming down with something, only to wake up feeling fine. I was pretty sure it was just that.
Except when I woke up in the morning I did have a sore throat. And there was no doubt in my mind that it was a cold, and not allergies or over use from school. I immediately texted my principal to ask if I needed a negative PCR test to return to work, and she confirmed that I did. By 9am I was at a city-sponsored testing site, waiting in line. But when the woman came up and took my information by hand, instead of offering me the QR code to register, I worried the results wouldn’t come back very fast (there signs posted that said results could take up to 5 days, but I had assumed that was to temper expectations).
When I expressed my concerns to my husband he sent me the info for another city-run site nearby that opened at 10am, but when I arrived there was no testing site, only a Bike Rodeo run by the California Highway Patrol. After confirming that the testing site was not operating today (despite very clear messaging online that it should have been), I got into my car and cried. I felt like shit, but instead of resting at home I was driving all over the city trying to find a spot to get tested, in hopes of getting the results back before Monday morning. I knew there was already a teacher out with no sub on Monday, and the last thing I wanted to do was contribute to the sub shortage problem.
So I got on my Kaiser app to see if there were any appointments there. I was able to make an appointment at 3pm at a location across the city. I still won’t get the results back in time for my first three classes on Monday morning, but maybe I can be down there for the afternoon, and I will definitely get them back before Tuesday. I did get some BinaxNOW rapid tests and took one at home. It came back negative, which provided some piece of mind, but honestly, the whole situation has been so stressful. If normal cold symptoms require a negative test to return to work, teachers are going to be out all the time. I was lucky that I woke up with symptoms on a Saturday, so I should only miss one day waiting for my results. If someone starts noticing symptoms on a Tuesday afternoon, they could be out for the rest of the week just waiting for results. Teachers are going to be out constantly, and we have fewer subs than ever before to cover for them.
I’m creating the most low key sub plans ever imaginable, because I know my colleagues will be covering my classes for me. I’m going down later today to set everything up. On Friday we were short FIVE subs. The principal of the other middle school AND the superintendent came over to cover classes at our school. It was incredibly stressful. I was happy to be able to help by combining a small 6th grade class with my own small 6th grade class, but I don’t want to do that stuff regularly. And if our regular subs are staying away because of possible Covid exposure, I don’t know how they will find enough people interested in applying.
I guess it’s just going to be a really hard year for teachers and parents, and exponentially so for people who are dealing with the volatility of missing school for possible exposures, symptoms, and quarantines as both a teacher and parent. I suppose there is nothing to do about it except take it as it comes. And have some super easy sub plans in my back pocket.
I work at a large high school and on Friday we needed 38 teachers to teach during their prep to cover all the teachers out for whatever reason. We get paid to do this but I did not offer to help. They had to have administrators take classes. I only see the problem getting worse as we move to the fall/winter months here in the Midwest.
Do CVS and Walgreens do PCR tests where you live? We have almost no government run sites anymore but thankfully the drugstores have filled in the gaps. There’s also a service (? Not sure if regional) that will come to your house to run a PCR test called BeeperMD. We used them a few times last month for the kids when they were quarantined and it was so helpful. I’m sure you looked around at all options I’m just surprised the drugstores don’t test nationwide (or maybe they do but all slots were filled- that happens here sometimes too.)
I’m so sorry you had to run this gauntlet.
It’s the same here in Albania. So far our admin have only been out one at a time, and we’ve been able to cover for teachers being out – but it’s similar in that there’s a stomach bug going around and even though it’s not Covid, we’re constantly juggling to cover every period. Some of it has been Covid. It sucks and I too share the fear that this is going to be how the whole year is going to go.
I hope you’re right and it’s just a cold! We got a “close contact” letter for my 1st grader on Friday. I’m almost positive it’s the teacher (parapro? assistant? not sure her title) that flips between the two DLI classes as the other class got the same letter. SO THANKFUL masks are required; praying that’s enough to keep two classes of kiddos (and everyone they’re in contact with) safe.
Glad you are anticipating negative results.
School district needs to make arrangements with testing availability locations. You ought not need to solve this problem yourself or drive all day all over the city. Unfortunately ‘ought not’ does not compel district to act. Perhaps the district needs to hear more from more teachers about the problem.
AND, school districts need to apply pressure to get teachers approved for third shots as essential as medical services.
It was nice to see that vaccines for 5-11 yr olds may be available and approved by end of October from Pfizer … but the difference between approved and actually fully vaccinated in children’s arms is HUGE! Distribution and availability all over clearly takes time and so far the evidence for urgency on the part of government officials is ……. lacking other than lip service.
I AM SO SORRY YOU HAVE A COLD and the testing issue is so severe you will miss school. Hope things get better!
I’m shocked it takes so long to get results. There are multiple places here that take insurance and the wait time is 24-36 hours.
I hope you got the results you wanted!