What to Expect When Testing for COVID-19 in Minnesota
On Memorial Day, shocking live videos surfaced on social media, showing a white Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed black man – George Floyd – for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, while Floyd laid face down on the pavement and repeatedly said, “I can’t breathe.” Three other officers on the scene stood by without intervening. Instead, they prevented bystanders from interfering. Floyd was pronounced dead shortly after.
In the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, widespread protests and uprisings unfolded across the world, with Minnesota at the epicenter. These demonstrations are part of the larger Black Lives Matter movement, which addresses America's history of systemic racism and police brutality, particularly against the African-American community.
What is unique about this occurrence is that the world has also been gripped in a pandemic since March. The coronavirus (which causes the disease COVID-19) is highly contagious, and experts recommend that individuals wear a face mask and maintain a distance of at least six feet from others in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading. But with these mass gatherings, many people were unable to maintain a safe and healthy distance. And many people did not wear masks.
In response, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) officials recommend that those individuals who have attended protests, community cleanups, volunteer events and other mass gatherings should get tested for COVID-19. They’ve also advised healthcare providers to increase testing capacity. Though uncertainty remains over whether or not these recent mass gatherings will trigger a surge in COVID-19 cases, many health experts predict a second wave as the outcome.
Editor’s Note: As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds in Minnesota, certain details in our stories about the impact of the virus may become outdated within hours, days or weeks of our publication. For the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in Minnesota, please visit the websites for the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan or the Minnesota Department of Health.
As someone who has attended these gatherings, Twin Cities PBS producer Susan Thao (Sinclair) documented her experience with COVID-19 testing. After spending a morning at a drive-thru test site, she got her results back in 12 hours.
Wondering what to expect? She shares her tips on what to expect when testing for COVID-19:
- Make an appointment, preferably through a healthcare provider. If through a healthcare provider, it's beneficial to have an online account for quicker access to test results.
- Drive-thru test sites are great for maintaining confidentiality.
- Bring tissues if you're uncomfortable with a nasal swab.
- Try not to get stressed out about the results. There are instructions for both positive and negative diagnoses.
- If you're uneasy with the results, retest! MDH actually recommends taking another test 12 to 14 days after attending an event (or 5 to 7 days after the first test).
Since the start of the pandemic in March, testing in Minnesota has ramped up considerably - good timing given the thousands of individuals who have marched, volunteered and attended events in recent weeks, and who may now seek out answers to the question: "Do I have COVID-19?"
During a time when musicians and performers of all stripes are offering musical interludes from balconies and porches, revisit a time in history between the world wars when local communities gathered in Minneapolis parks to sing together in unison.
Many pregnant people during this time of pandemic have had to make some unexpected decisions about their original birth plans. Meet two women who chose to forgo hospital births for other options that made them feel more comfortable during this uncertain time.
Diagnosing and treating patients with the novel coronavirus comes with different challenges for rural and regional healthcare systems located outside major metropolitan areas. One Greater Minnesota reporter Kaomi Goetz interviews Essentia Health’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Henry about the challenges that rural medical facilities face during a pandemic.
