I got tested for Coronavirus today. Four days ago, I drank a Coke and noticed it burned my throat. When I took my daughter or a walk that day, I had a bit of shortness of breath while just walking along a flat surface. That night, while reading her a bedtime story, it was the same. The next day, I had a full-blown sore throat, and it’s only gotten worse.

My daughter also isn’t feeling well. And because of that mild shortness of breath, when I called 8-1-1, they urged me to come in to get tested. So, I drove to a drive-through testing facility. You weren’t allowed to take pictures, but here’s how to went:

  • You pull up to the site and someone asks you if you’re here to get tested.
  • Then, a police officer asks you if you have symptoms. If so, you get to drive through.
  • You drive your car through some cones, past a series of white tents that are heated by the kind of heaters you see on restaurant patios. Healthcare workers in masks ask you a series of questions and type your information into a computer.
  • Then, another worker with a face shield does the test. I was surprised at the casual, friendly atmosphere. (Why am I reviewing this as if it’s Yelp?) The workers were chatting about what they wanted to get for lunch. And the woman who did my test was kind and asked questions about my daughter.
  • The swab itself felt weird — the woman counted to 10, then it was over — but it wasn’t as painful as I expected.

And then I was done. The whole thing took maybe 20 minutes. I am so lucky to live in a place with access to testing.

But still, I am baffled at how I managed to get sick in the first place. I’ve been sheltering in place since March 11th. During that time, I have taken my toddler outside for one single outing a day, and when we return I wash her hands thoroughly and then do mine, change both our clothes, wipe down my cellphone and all surfaces I touched as I entered. I’ve also been grocery shopping and I wear a mask to do so, practice social distancing, and when I get home I wash my hands, shower and then wash my clothes.

Even if it’s not Coronavirus, which it’s likely not, where did I pick up anything? We did drive through McDonalds on our way back from the beach: a one-time treat for the toddler, who loves nuggets. But drive-thrus are considered relatively safe. That’s the only thing I can think of.

So here’s hoping that the illness is mild, and that we’ll be able to entertain a toddler in 1000 square feet for 10 days. Dot is already putting on her pants and saying, “Go outside now?” I bought a subscription to Disney+ because if we’re going to get through this, we’ll need an extra dose of Toy Story. Forky don’t fail me now!