It’s been a week since I last blogged, and I’ve got an update on last week’s COVID-19 antibody test! The good news is: blood tests indicate I’ve successfully avoided getting sick. The bad news is, I’m therefore still at risk.
Several other eXtreme Wavefront Control Lab students got tested and they had no evidence of recent infection, either. I suppose we are the study’s eXtreme Wavefront control group.
I have been encouraged to include a cute cat picture, as these are always popular with our readers. I have included a photograph of Mr. Alexander the Great expressing what I believe is called “a total mood”.
On an unrelated note, I was reading through the group chat with my extended family today and saw a link to QuiltedNorthern.com. It was touted as a resource for obtaining TP in These Uncertain Times. Upon their site, it reads:
Now is the time to take comfort in one another and in the fact that we are working tirelessly to provide you with the comfort of Quilted Northern® toilet paper.
Really makes you think, doesn’t it?
Your song of the day: “Mask, Glove, Soap, Scrubs” by Todrick Hall off “Quarantine Queen”. Todrick has been making spectacularly involved YouTube parodies since I was in high school (at least). The below video is a re-write of one of his own songs that really puts the ‘house’ in ‘house music’.
After 29 days of the Stay At Home, I had an appointment. I had a thing to do, at a time, in a place other than my house, with another person.
The University of Arizona and the State have come together to ramp up COVID-19 antibody testing, beginning with 3000 healthcare workers, 500 University students, and 1000 unaffiliated Pima county residents. One of the other graduate students shared the sign-up link in Slack, and half of our team of grad students signed up.
(In fact, a surprising number of the other astronomy graduate students said they were signed up. My theory is that, with all the undergrads gone, the only people in the “University student” category both bored enough to read all University communiques and geographically close enough to participate are the grad students.)
This is a blood test for COVID-19 antibodies, which tells you if you were recently infected and recovered. (Not the same thing as the “are you currently infected?” test, which uses a nasopharyngeal swab.) I don’t think I was infected, although apparently many cases are entirely asymptomatic. I just wanted something to do, with the added bonus of helping the study ramp up their process.
My test used the vials with colorful tops, not the swab that goes (I think) right up into your brain.
So, today at 9:40 AM I arrived at the Health Sciences building. The appointment slots on the sign up sheet were in 10 minute intervals, which I thought was a polite fiction. (I always choose early appointments because medical scheduling rivals JWST for delays.)
Incredibly, I was out by 9:47 AM. Let me walk you through the process.
Welcome station: Before you enter the building, you give your name to a worker who ensures you have an appointment and gives you some hand sanitizer. Follow the paw prints to the next station.
Wellness check: A non-contact thermometer (i.e. a one-pixel infrared detector) is used to ensure you haven’t lied about feeling sick. If your readings are within normal limits, you get to follow the paw prints through a scary maze of hallways.
Intake / processing: Present your ID, get led to a room, present your ID again, get everything keyed into their electronic record-keeping system, get a couple of labels for your vacutainer.
Phlebotomy: A nice phlebotomist (mine was seconded from a blood donation organization in Phoenix) sticks you with a needle and collects a couple tablespoons of blood.
All done! I was told results take 2 working days currently, but may be longer due to demand.
It’s funny that we’re in a situation where you really don’t want to get COVID-19, but really do want to have already had COVID-19.
My friend pointed out that phlebotomy is a good cover job for a vampire. Tangentially related, today’s song of the day is “Blood Like Lemonade” by Morcheeba.
Back in college, I used to listen to Thao & The Get Down Stay Down regularly. I haven’t kept up with their newer stuff, but they were recently in the news for the creative use of Zoom videoconferencing to make the video for their new single: Phenom. The song struck me as dissonant and strange at first, it’s been growing on me with every listen. Please enjoy it as your song of the day.
Before I moved to Tucson, I thought there were four seasons. Since living here, I’ve learned there are five. Fall, winter, spring, summer, and the North American Monsoon.
I also used to think summer started at the end of May. However, we’re already facing our first 90+ºF (32+ºC) day next week.
Soon we will become nocturnal desert dwellers, emerging at night or before dawn for our socially distant jogging. Eventually, it will be too hot even for this, and we will have to estivate.
Also, the University just announced its furlough plan on Friday, which will impact many of our People. This may have far reaching impacts, possibly extending even to our blog operations.
The Blog Board of Regents will have to weigh in.
Because of all this, your Song of the Day is “Summertime Sadness” by Lana del Rey.
Of course, the definitive version is the dance remix by Cedric Gervais:
