I’m struggling for things to say. When you finally come face to face with our Covid testing system, it’s not that good. Julia’s arrangements have now been altered so she will be provided with one of the kits that has to be sent off to the lab. You have to find a priority post box for that. Priority Post Box, you ask. Exactly. It took ten minutes on the internet with a selection of useless links before I found any.
There are 35,000 in the country. Or 15.000 if you are posting on Saturday or Sunday. And you have to post the sample at least an hour before the last collection time – so no later than 4pm, and in some cases earlier. Most people are still at work at that time.
It’s not my idea of “priority”.
As for getting a test, you have to have symptoms. If I had symptoms I wouldn’t bother driving down to a testing station and shoving a cotton wool bud up my nose, I’d just stay at home in bed with a Lemsip. If you are asymptomatic I would have thought that was when you needed the test.
I will be returning to work next week as the owner has thought of a new way of doing things and we will be rearranging stock. I am not terribly keen, as I was enjoying my time off, but I can’t keep sitting at home and being paid for doing nothing.
Meanwhile, the post arrived. That cheered me up. Or it would have done if it had been what I originally thought it was. Unfortunately, the miniature medals with paperwork didn’t have any paperwork with them and the copy of the poetry magazine with my poem in it turned out to be a copy of a different magazine.
It is going to be one of those days.
I am increasingly unable to listen to the news. Itโs not the fault of the news of course, it is what it is. But having acquired a bundle of new books, Iโm rather indulge in a good paper back with a story set in the 14th century. Apart from being fiction, it was a long time ago.
The news is sensationalist though, and having been advised to miss it as much as possible, I feel better for missing it.
I was thinking infuriating but whichever emotion it inspires it doesnโt seem to be helping, does it!
I mange to absorb enough news without actually having to sit down and make myself unhappy. ๐
Thatโs good! Iโve just listened to a bit whilst washing up.
๐
Disappointing news about Julia’s test. Our post arrived a while ago. Would it be safe to pick it up, I wonder?
I know some people who are still leaving it a couple of days before opening the post. I didn’t send my uncle a card for his 90th birthday last year because I was afraid of the possibility of sending an infection. By Christmas my caution had worn off…
My parents still leave post for a couple of days. I donโt – or target I often do because… who wants open letters from the bank ๐
Not sure what the word โtargetโ is doing there. Must have been thinking about my arrows ๐
Easy done. It is an entry level “senior moment”. ๐
๐
๐
Was the wrong magazine any good?
It would be greatly improved by a contribution from me, but apart from that it’s OK.
Good.
๐
As Sooty said on Friday, “I don’t understand any of this.” To which my reply was. “Don’t worry, Sooty, none of us do.” Keep plodding on, Quercus, that’s all we can do. I hope Julia’s test is negative, that’s if you ever get it back ๐
๐ ๐ ๐ One of my mates travelled 60 miles for a test in the early days of testing. Tey lost the result. The next offer of a test was 3 miles away, adding insult to injury. ๐
It is quite an amazing time, one day we’ll look back on this and we won’t half laugh, or possibly not in this case
Yes, one day…
A we sit in our cave, sheltering from the radiation and the politicians we will refer to these as the good old days.
I can hardly wait.
Like all systems organised by humans they are totally fallible!
Good luck with the test results. Give Julia our best. Take some comfort in that the U.K. is far more organized on this front than we are on this side of the Big Pond.
Will do. ๐
Generally, symptoms appear in three to six days. (There are always exceptions, of course.) How many days has it been since Julia was exposed? Anyway, keeping you two in my thoughts. So glad you are keeping us updated.
It could have been yesterday, it could have been last week – there have been several people around, now known to be positive.
But Julia is now home safe and sound?
She is for now, but back at work tomorrow.
What?! Are they out of their minds?
HEad Office, in London, in an office with no clients (they regard themselves as a lobbying group rather than a charity actually dealing with people) has told them they have to keep going to ensure they are earning money.
Oh, sigh. I suppose there’s a certain amount of truth to this, but at the cost of their employees’ health?
They probably think they are stressed. ๐
Yes, always so many sides to the story.
Were masks worn by Julia and the other employees?
Yes, but the Health & Safety is not great in an old building with a lot of people with a mental age about 8 years old. It can be a bit tricky. People with learning disabilities were exempt from wearing masks originally…
Yes, I am sure that is true. Oh, my!
๐ We will just have to keep going and trust to a certain amount of luck.
May Chance be with you!
๐