Luckily, I have not had to have any tests, but I have not participated in risky behavior like gathering for a party. Did people mask and distance or just throw caution to the wind?

I can't imagine.

Never had the test, I have been living in my house with no contact other than the missus. However...we got a phone call Thursday evening with information of a local place that had too many vials and did we want an appointment. Y E S ! I have not seen the missus so excited in many, many years.

OK, we got our first shot. Nuts to the tests. We will be able to cruise again once they allow such a decadent behavior.

Ricky behavior? C'mon, I was in the Navy for four years!!!

We have sat out 3 rounds of isolation after being exposed to someone before they were diagnosed. Called to get a test after the first exposure, was told that a nurse would call us back. Never got that call. (This was in September.)

Didn't bother to seek a test the next two times. We were in isolation so didn't see any point in getting the test. All they could tell us is either NO, you don't have it or 'Yes, you do have it. Go home, stay home, drink plenty of liquids...'

We had enough sense to watch for symptoms & seek medical help if we thought it warranted. Also, the luxury of being able to stay at home.

Different situation if you have a job & need a bonafide excuse to not show up for work. Then, by all means, seek out testing.

Tests are required here prior to medical procedures. I had the nasal swab on New Year’s Eve prior to a scope on Jan. 5. It was a drive through testing site in the hospital parking lot, very organized and very quick. The nurse asked whether I had had a nasal swab before, when I told her that this was my first, she explained everything. No pain and only a minor tickle. I think I lucked out with a very good nurse! I received my results (negative) the next morning.

I got my first vaccine dose last week, 10 days after my age group became eligible. This was also at the hospital, but inside utilizing the atrium for sign-in and shots and a large conference room for the mandatory 15 minute observation. Again really well organized and efficient. Even taking into account the 15 minute observation, I was in and out in less than 30 minutes. Most patients were in the 65-70 age range on that day and the atmosphere in the observation area was really celebratory!

My husband did the nasal swab test twice. One deep, one not....to get access to entering job sites. Both negative. 3 & 5 days to get results.

Gathering for a party is not a thoughtful behavior, especially with an 86 year old involved. I'm surprised no one with better sense spoke up to suggest it wasn't a good idea.

"I thought it would be tougher to fill the vile"

Haha. Vile is foul behavior or words or smells, or the like. What you filled was a vial.

I have not been tested as I don't participate in any potential risky events. My family has/have three birthdays in the last few weeks and there have been no parties so no reason to get tested.

How to Disable Spell Check

One test of the deep nasal variety. My grandson (2 years old) was diagnosed with Covid so we quarantined for a week then had the test. We were babysitting him the day he got sick. Neither of us ever got sick. We got the first vaccine two weeks ago.

I’ve been tested three times. All were the deep nasal swab The 3rd time was the most uncomfortable. Discomfort level seemed dependent on who was administering the test. Took 24-48 hours for results. All were negative

Tested multiple times, first time in March because I was sick and so was my daughter who had contact with 2 people coming back from vacationing in S. Korea and Italy. That took 13 days to get back. I actually was told to come back to work before the results came back. I felt like I had the flu but that was negative too.

2nd time was before an EGD. Next time in the Summer before I took my son a carload of his belongings to him in another state. Three more times after that because I had symptoms/and or was around someone who was positive. Most were the rapid nasal and results came back in 15-20 minutes. The shortest time a pcr came back was 1 1/2 days. All nasal swabs, the last one was a do-it-yourself drive-thru at CVS pharmacy.

I got the Pfizer vaccine in December/January. Today I gave blood and they do an antibody test on all blood donated. Will be interesting to see the results. This was the first time I have been able to donate since coming back from Germany some 30 years ago. They took Germany off the list for the Red Cross. KY blood Centers were thinking about doing the same and told me to call back when I asked a couple months ago.

I think I’ve had 5 tests, kind of lost count. All nasal. I work somewhere that doesn’t require customers to wear masks. Probably about 3/4 of our staff has had Covid. 2 people have had it twice!

One test was rapid result, so got that result in about 15 minutes, the others took about 48-72 hours. All negative.

There was an article on the computer this morning about people testing less. Now that the vaccines are here the testing will probably only be done on people who either have symptoms or have been in contact with someone with the virus. I still look at that Worldometer thing from this time last year and have noticed the number of tests going down.

I've never been tested. I don't see the point as I take the same precautions as I would whether I was infected or not, and it seemed like I had a higher chance of catching something getting tested than staying home like I have been for the past year! I do not gather with anyone in person, ever.

I'm glad vaccines are rolling out. I won't be getting mine for a long time but I love hearing how man people are receiving theirs.

I’ve been tested once. The riskiest activity I engaged in was being in my car with someone, both masked, driving that person to medical attention. As part of their attention, they were tested, and it came back positive. I had to quarantine in the spare bedroom for over a week before I could be tested, then wait for the results (negative). Neither of us ever had symptoms.

I haven’t been tested. Usually, I can work from home, the only time I leave the house is when I absolutely have to for work. Even then, for the most part, I work in an office by myself. The clinics that don’t have a private space for me, I go to sparingly once a month as opposed to weekly. I get my first shot this Monday.

None. But I see that antibody tests are available now through my provider and I am thinking of requesting one next time I go in for blood work. I'm curious since some of us think in retrospect that we may have had Covid back in Jan/Feb. I haven't been around anyone who has had Covid or tested positive that I know. Hopefully that will continue to be the case.

*Elmer I respect your opinion but thoughtful is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone knew, no one was surprised, the "party" was 6 of us and my DIL who was infected at work visits my mother about every other week...life does have to go on and in the end all's well. Life is about LIVING and what that means to each of us is ours to decide. You need to recall that those of us who gathered are out and about working in the world so the economy, life, essential services can go on. Life is dangerous!!! It's evident the mask wearing and 6ft spacing was enough to keep my parents safe.

I tested once, because it was free and I was going to be vaccinated the following week. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't a silent carrier and was interested in seeing what all the hullabaloo was with people crying about the discomfort. A little ticklish, nothing more. Negative, and I have been "exposed" multiple times at work. Masks do work, no flu to speak of. Poor xofluza, they have to pay so much money to over-advertise since no one needs their product this year.

No tests for me. Bern furloughed twice and I'm happy to stay home. Can't get vaccine yet cuz I'm too young and healthy for one shot but I'm also too old and healthy. Just waiting for the healthy middle-aged group shots

I've been tested 3 times because I had medical procedures coming up and had to test negative before going to the hospital (once for surgery). All 3 were negative and they were simple. A Q-Tip up each nostril for 10 seconds, moving it around. I don't understand (or at least I didn't experience) the horror that some people reported those tests to be.

I was sure that I was going to test negative because I've been very careful.

I've been tested twice, necessary only because I was going to visit someone in an assisted living facility. Both were the PCR test using a nasopharyngeal swab, and I found them quite painful, with pain in my nose even after I returned home.

I'm trying to determine whether I will still need to get the test after I am fully vaccinated. I suspect I will. This facility isn't taking any chances and it's no skin off their nose to require it of visitors.

Arcy, as to your comments above, no, you were lucky, or rather your father was lucky. The fact that those of you who gathered are out and about working in the world so the economy, life, essential services can go on should be all the more reason to NOT visit the elderly.

Thanks for the polite response to what I hoped would accepted as my intended to be polite reaction, arcy.

I do agree with graywings - all at your gathering were lucky with having conducted an event that was ill advised for the welfare of the elderly person as well as for one another. A poor decision. As graywings explained.

Never been tested and never plan to be.