45 Comments - ChicagoBars - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:30 pm: Yes, tested four different times out of a super abundance of caution. The City of Chicago free testing sites (for residents) run by a company named Curative are shockingly efficient. Never taken longer than 72 hours for results by email. - Independent - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:31 pm: No, but I donate blood every 2-3 months and they perform antibody tests. Negative each time. - L.A. - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:31 pm: Have never had any symptoms. Do not have direct knowledge of being around anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 or of being around anyone who was around someone diagnosed with COVID-19. So, no test. - Groundhog Day - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:32 pm: Repeatedly tested at work to ensure I am not infected. But fortunately, using the less invasive nasal swab (not the high nasopharyngeal one). - Just Me 2 - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:33 pm: Twice. The first was to make sure I was okay to go visit my elderly parents. The second was when I had a cough for a day. Both were negative, but it took a few days to get results. Testing should be 24 hours. - SGirl - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:33 pm: Yes. In July my in-laws were coming for a weekend and since they would be high risk and I could easily be asymptomatic I got a free test to be safe. My biggest fear is being asymptomatic and unknowingly passing it along to someone at risk. - Observer - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:33 pm: Tested before a medical procedure, results negative. - JoanP - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:33 pm: No. I have had no symptoms and, so far as I know, no exposure. - Donnie Elgin - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:34 pm: yep - before a medical procedure - Negative - Keyrock - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:34 pm: Twice before minor surgery. Negative. - Pawar Lost - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:37 pm: Yes and I never got the results. - AnonymousFool - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:40 pm: Nope, been working from home the entire time and, to my knowledge, have not been exposed to someone who is Covid-19 positive. - Cubs in '16 - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:42 pm: I was tested in July shortly after my daughter-in-law was wrongly told she had tested positive. Both of our results ultimately were negative. I’ve had no reason to suspect exposure since then. - Leslie K - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:50 pm: Not tested, but I will next month. I’ll be going out of town to visit my 84 year old mother. I plan to self-quarantine, then test, then take the trip if I’m negative. But I do take my temperature most days (it helped establish my baseline, which is lower than 98.6) and a machine at work checks temp for entry. - SSL - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:51 pm: Tested before surgery. Negative. - Gruntled University Employee - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:52 pm: Yes, I get tested at least once a week for work. - Flapdoodle - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:55 pm: Tested twice prior to cataract surgeries. Both negative. Nasal swab test was not altogether pleasant, but not as uncomfortable as rumor had it. - Lynn S. - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:55 pm: A coworker found out last night she tested positive. Took my first covid-19 test this morning. Hoping it comes back quickly, and negative. I need 2 negative tests before I can go back to work. - walker - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 2:59 pm: required by my job - thechampaignlife - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:02 pm: Once a week at UIUC since mid-August. Once at the community testing site in early June when I first came out of hibernation to see my shadow. - Leigh John-Ella - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:03 pm: Yes, repeated tests. Sometimes for work, sometimes for travel, but mostly because it’s available and why not know? Last time it was barely 5 minutes from the time I pulled into the parking lot to the time I left. Results were in my inbox within 2 hours. That’s the rapidtest. I’ve also waited anywhere from a couple days to close to 5 for the full lab test. Springfield is fortunate to have public testing readily available in the community. - Leigh John-Ella - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:03 pm: Follow up: all have been negative. - Portia - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:04 pm: Tested during ER visit, and was negative, despite certainty had COVID-19. Was in two ER departments that day, amazing how different protocols are in place. Call ahead if you want to know what to expect. - JS Mill - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:04 pm: Nope. I am wearing a mask, following social distancing, and keeping clean. I work in a school everyday, but outside of work I have been a hermit. - Froganon - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:06 pm: I’m avoiding everyone except family and close friends. We are masked & distanced when together. Had some symptoms in Feb but tests were too scarce. Saw a doctor & self quarantined. No test, no symptoms or sickness. - Grandson of Man - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:08 pm: No, but others very close to me tested negative, which was a good sign. - Dotnonymous - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:10 pm: No…no need…yet…thankfully. - thoughts matter - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:11 pm: Yes. Outpatient ore-op requirement. - yinn - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:17 pm: Yes, July 1, the day we found out one of us was positive. It was two days after he’d tested so the rest of us went to an immediate care clinic where we had results in less than 90 minutes and they were negative. I have no idea if we stayed negative or not. We try to behave as if we are positive because he works in a facility with a COVID unit that’s been in outbreak mode almost continuously for the past six months. - Been There - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:19 pm: Twice. Both negative. First time we did a city sponsored location that used the mouth swabs. Had the results via email in about 24 hours. Had one Wednesday at a clinic. They come out to the car and do a nose swab. They take 2 samples from each nostril. The first was a deep dive that they send to the lab. The second was for the rapid test. They come back in 15 min and tell you the results. The second lab result I just got back negative a few hours ago. - Andrea Durbin - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:23 pm: Yes, have been getting tested roughly every two weeks since June due to my husband’s job. He gets tested in the opposite weeks. - Cool Papa Bell - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:24 pm: Yes. Nose swab done by someone else while I sat in my car. Pretty efficient and not all that terrible. Negative test in July. Took 9 days to get the results. Anti-body results from giving blood later in the summer were positive. When I was sick in late Feb/early March there were no tests to get. - Almost retired - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:35 pm: Tested twice. Once with spit test at UIUC because had some symptoms but care for high risk offspring. Second nasal swab before minor surgery. Both negative. - Scott - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:38 pm: Yes, just yesterday actually. The state university that I work for does random selection for testing and my number came up. Drive through, handed me a swab, swabbed my nose for a few seconds, handed it back. They said if it was positive, I’d receive a call within 2 hours (this was ~9 AM) and if negative, an email in the afternoon. Received my email in the afternoon saying I was all clear. Very easy to do and very quick to get results. - Dozer - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:44 pm: Test required prior to routine medical procedure - danray - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 3:58 pm: Yes, a pre-op nose swab was required prior to my total left hip replacement last week. Negative. - In_The_Middle - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 4:09 pm: I clicked No. I had some symptoms in mid-March that dissipated after a few days. (I had traveled to WI and IN 2 weeks prior) I contacted my GP who said they couldn’t test because they were only testing the most serious cases but to monitor for a fever and go to the hospital if symptoms worsened. - ELP - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 4:13 pm: Yep, only once back in May–the swab tickled my brain. Result was negative–I have been very careful since March-still haven’t visited a bar or church and only dined in outdoor settings a handful of times. Check the daily IDPH and Tri-County numbers daily. Grateful to JB for his continued leadership and his commitment to follow where the science leads. - Frumpy White Guy - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 4:13 pm: No. Me and the Mrs. are both retired and don’t get out much. - Doc Anonymous - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 4:28 pm: Had a test before a procedure. Would also get one if I had any relevant symptoms; my partner has had two such tests (both negative, thank goodness). The nasal swab is peculiarly uncomfortable, but no big deal. - Norseman - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 4:35 pm: Twice. Once to check on lingering cold. Second, because daughter exposed at work. - ;) - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 4:47 pm: Yes wasn’t bad at all. Test at Northwestern. - FormerParatrooper - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 4:48 pm: Not tested. I travel, a lot, too much. I have not had symptoms, and I feel fortunate. Mask, handwash, cleaning wipes for rental cars and hotels. Avoiding crowds, work in medical facilities and I cannot afford to get ill. I did ask HR what would happen if I wanted to be tested, mostly to find out if I could have antibodies, I was told I would have to quarantine at home if I tested and wait 14 days before returning to work even if negative. - Pot calling kettle - Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 4:49 pm: Antibody test when I gave blood a few weeks ago. Negative. (Not a day goes by that I don’t wonder if I somehow picked it up…) - passive income - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 2:52 pm: When I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. Is there an easy method you are able to remove me from that service? Appreciate it! Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.