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i had a sore throat over christmas which means when i filled out my symptoms in the weekly app i update as part of my covid-19 vaccine trial they asked me to come in for more tests and it was truly so bonkers let me tell you
so first i got fitted for this monitoring device where a third party monitors my temperature, heart rate, oxygen levels and other vitals. if i test positive for covid i have to keep wearing it, if i test negative i can take it off. but i can’t see the vitals myself!
then a nurse OVER ZOOM instructed me how to spit into a container to collect saliva which again i will have to do every few days if i test positive. the hospital doctor wasn’t allowed to instruct me, i had to do the zoom nurse cause she’s a different company.
i’m obsessed with this very nice funny nurse who collects covid saliva samples and we were both hysterically laughing and she’s like “yes my job is just watching people spit over zoom” truly 2020 is wild
then BLOOD TESTS. these are going to a different place that monitors for antibodies. the nurse told me i had good veins and asked if she could use the bigger needle cause it would be quicker but that fucker was very painful and i regret saying yes, won’t do that again. 4 tubes!
then THREE covid tests. two of the normal swab ones, which she did together. and then this weird nasal swab which doesn’t go as deep but has to be there for a whole (very long) minute. bonkers.
i left the hospital looking like i went on a shopping spree. monitoring device with charger and back up monitor. a bunch of salvia testing tubes in envelopes. ppe gear including face shields. and they have to do this for EVERYONE in the trial who reports any symptom for two days.
anyway if you’re interested about the trial, i wrote more about it here, truly the whole thing is so fascinating and weird and funny https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amberjamieson/astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-participant
