Adjusting to this new normal wasn’t easy. I recently got a swab test as a requirement for my GERD treatment. I am battling reflux since August 2019. I wanted to do follow ups with my doctor but because of this new hospital policies any symptoms are generally associated with Covid-19.
With all of our disinfecting procedures at home; we disinfect all grocery items, shoes are not allowed inside the house, regular cleaning of all surfaces including door knobs, etc; I thought there’s no way I am Covid-19 positive. But because we have an invisible enemy, my doctor doesn’t want to take any chances. I was given options by my doctor; option one, to go to the emergency room for my health concerns; option two, do the swab test; or option three, wait 2 weeks for my symptoms to go away. I can’t risk going to the ER because I am 90% sure that I am negative. Of course there’s still that 10% possibility. And my symptoms (sore throat, headache, difficulty breathing) will not go away for as long as I am having acid reflux.
I chose the Covid-19 swab test available via drive thru at the Chinese General Hospital in Blumentritt, Manila. The only other hospital who offers this is St. Lukes Medical Hospital in Bonifacio Global City. CGH costs less.
Booking appointment – It’s a hassle free booking system. Just go their website https://cghmc.com.ph/online/booking/ and follow the instructions. Enter your details and choose from the available schedules. Upon completing registration, a confirmation email and sms will be sent with the details of your appointment. No need to print the CIF because they will be the one to print it and CIF was not attached in their email. So you just need to bring money but don’t forget disinfecting tools like aerosol spray, alcohol and disinfecting wipes.
If you have PhilHealth membersguo, you can avail of their free swab test but you need to go to the emergency room and wait in line.
My brother-in-law drove me there. We arrived 15 minutes early of my schedule so we were asked to wait.
My schedule was at 10:28am-10:30am. Yes, 2-minute swabbing only but when we got there the guard told us that they started late. We waited an hour and a half for the whole process to finish. We really didn’t leave the car. It’s like a fast food drive thru service.
A clerk approached our car to confirm my personal details. I was also asked to disclose all household members and their mobile number. This is for contact tracing just in case the result turned out to be positive. After confirming details, we waited for our turn to pay. I paid via credit card because I don’t want to hold money. After payment comes the swabbing proper.
Swabbing – they swabbed my throat and nose. It was not painful but it was irritating. See video below of the process.
After the swabbing the process we went home. As soon as we arrived home we cleaned the car, I used disinfecting spray inside. We used disinfecting wipes to clean the handles, steering wheel, gear shift, hand break and all parts that were touched. We also took a bath and all clothes were soaked in warm soapy water for around 30 minutes before completely washing them.
Results – Results will be released 3-5 days excluding weekends and holidays. I did the swab test last June 15, 2020 and got my results June 18, 2020. I tried viewing my results online but it says that it was not yet released so I called the hospital to follow up my results. They are not allowed to discuss results via phone so they emailed me my results. Result was a NEGATIVE! I can now proceed with my other health concerns.
Drive thru swab test was a hassle free service because you don’t need to go down your car and potentially expose yourself to viruses. The hospital can still improve their service in terms of waiting time but nonetheless it was very convenient. Just bring some entertainment with you just in case you need to wait.
