Last week I suddenly came down with some sinus irritation. After a few hours of trying to deny what I was feeling, I ended up calling my boss, then 811 to book a COVID test. I went into self-isolation. I was never very sick, but the emotional weight was really tough.

I felt a lot of shame. (Even though everyone I contacted was so kind and supportive.) It was a hard few days, but I’m glad I did it. I came out with a negative test and was able to enter my workplace with confidence this week. It also changed two things for me:

1) I want to help get rid of the stigma of getting tested or getting COVID. Testing is a huge part of participating in public safety. When I opened up on social media about my experience, many people reached out to me about needing a test and feeling ashamed.

2) I went from occasional mask wearer to masking up every time I enter a shop. I sometimes don’t want to but then I think about how suddenly that sinus thing came on & how I felt reflecting on all the places I had been without a mask. It’s not a feeling I would want to repeat.