By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
It's not often that I have to spit in a tube, but I did so today like a champ!
My family and I went to the free community COVID-19 testing in Bill Burke Park Sunday afternoon. Hosted by the Salina Family Healthcare Center (SFHC), the testing event was open from 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
None of us knows that we have had direct contact with someone who was positive for COVID-19, but we do know of people who have had it or are currently recovering from it, so we decided to err on the side of caution. Besides, we all have been coughing.
The only downside of the excursion was that we missed watching part of the Chiefs-Dolphins game, but we listened to it on 99KG, so all is well.
We got to the test site a bit after the 1 p.m. start time. I fully expected there to be a long line, perhaps even out onto East Crawford, but there wasn't. In fact, some people were finished and leaving when we arrived.
The whole process was well thought out and efficient. Kudos to the SFHC staff! They were friendly, helpful, and always at the ready to answer questions.
We drove in, received instructions on how to maneuver through the parking lot at Bill Burke Park, picked up our test kits and paperwork (one sheet of paper each), and proceeded to the parking area. Then the fun began!
Each kit contained a unique barcode number that was used to register the kit to a particular person.
Fortunately for us and all those who were participating in the testing today, we didn't have to subject ourselves to having swabs stabbed up our noses. Rather, we got to spit into a tube included in the testing kit. The tube had a detachable funnel-like device on the top into which we spat.
Once the tube was filled to the line with saliva -- about four spits for me -- the lid was flipped onto the top of the funnel. As the lid clicked into place, a bladder filled with stabilizing liquid that was in the lid was punctured, adding to the contents of the tube. The funnel was then screwed off the tube and replaced with a cap.
After shaking our tubes to mix the liquids in them, we each placed stickers with our names and unique barcodes on the tubes. I then registered each test sample with the testing company via my smart phone. Fortunately, I was able to register all three tests on my phone. SFHC did, however, have personnel available to help those without smart phones register their test samples. Once a tube was registered, it was sealed in a biohazard bag that came with the kit.
We then drove to the exit and handed the bags and paperwork off to SFHC personnel on our way out.
It was that simple.
We were told that we should have our test results by Thursday.
If you haven't had a COVID-19 test and want to do so, Salina Regional Health Center, which is working in coordination with SFHC, has a free community testing event scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at its Comcare facility at 2090 South Ohio Street. According to information from SFHC, if supply is available, SFHC will host a second free community COVID-19 testing event from 1-5 p.m. on Dec. 20 at Bill Burke Park.
Test attendees should not eat, drink, smoke, brush teeth, or chew gum 30 minutes before the test.
The self test was painless and easy to administer. I highly encourage you to participate in the upcoming testing if you think you need to do so.