So, I took my ds on Wed for a Covid test as he had a sore throat and a weird rash.
Went to a walk-in site - was a marquee set up in a car park with a long queue. Everyone wearing masks, queue moving v slowly. When got inside the marquee, there were cubicles made with plastic curtains and everyone was given the equipment and sent off to a cubicle to do the tests ourselves. I got one too as they offered, although I'd had no symptoms.
Took ds over 10 goes to do the test, as he kept gagging on the throat one and touching it on other bits of his mouth, so we were in there about 15 mins at least, obviously not wearing masks while doing the tests.
We got negative results within 24 hours, BUT, this morning, 5 days after going for the test, I have now woken up with aching lungs, like nothing I've ever had. :(
Am now worried I caught Covid AT THE TEST CENTRE, despite using copious hand sanitiser and wearing a mask outside, as once inside the marquee, I was then standing in a small enclosed space where presumably hundreds of other potential Covid sufferers had also been standing recently, quite possibly coughing away without their masks on (as you can't do a test and keep your mask on).
As it was a marquee, it didn't feel like being in an enclosed space, but of course it was. Feel such an idiot, if I've actually caught Covid by going for a test.
So my warning is, if you do go for a test, I'd try to go for a drive through test, where I guess you do it in your own car (?) as this might be safer.
And if you do do a walk-in test, only take your mask off for the absolute minimum time, and change clothes/shower when you get back. :(
I can't face going for another test to find out if this is actually Covid - apart from anything else, don't feel up to standing in the cold for another hour. :( And would have to share a car with my dh, as I don't drive, and wouldn't want to risk giving it to him.
Oh, and just to add, to add to the shitness, I am 99% sure I had Covid back in March, as dh had all the classic symptoms and still has the long-tail form, with some shortness of breath/lung pain 6 months on, while I got way then with just losing my sense of smell/taste for a few weeks. (Neither of us got tested then, as at that point, you could only get tested if you turned blue.) I therefore assumed, that if I did get it again, I'd be OK. Bugger.
So don't assume that if you've had it before, you'll be fine. Obviously this may not be Covid. But buggered if I know what else it is, just random lung pain. 