I went to get tested for COVID-19. Here's what it was like

This week has seen a shift in testing in Ontario, with the Ford government now encouraging anyone who wants to get a test to get one

So I thought I'd put that to the test to see how easy it really is.

I have no COVID-19 symptoms, haven't been around anyone who has tested positive, and I haven't travelled outside Canada for months. But I have been out grocery shopping and as a reporter, I've been out and about travelling throughout the city and interviewing people from a safe distance.

Here's what happened when I went to get tested at the drive-thru centre in Etobicoke a process I documented for CBC Toronto that you can watch in the video above.

Arriving

When you get to the site, you pull up to a parking lot where a security guard signals for you to open your window. I'mhanded two forms: a screening sheet and an information paper.The guard tellsme the wait willbe about an hour. I get there at 9:30 a.m. 30 minutes before their listed opening time but the line hasalready started.

The lot is massive, and I'm ushered towards the far right side, where three rows of cars are tightly parked. After I park, another security guard asks me to pull up even more to make room for as many cars as possible.

Within an hour, the lot now has nearly 11 rows completely full. By 10:30 a.m. I still haven't moved.

It's 26 Coutside and it feelshotter with the humidity. Before coming to the site, I wasn't sure about etiquette. Are you allowed to get out of your car? Should I be wearing a mask right now? I stayed in my car and waited. I later learnyou're encouraged to stay in your car and masks aren't mandatory.

Getting tested

About two hours later, I drive into the first tent where they takemy screening form and my health card. A few minutes later, the staff member comes back and directsme to one of the two lanes heading into the second tent, where the testing happens.

When you get near the front of the second tent, you roll down your window and speak to a doctor. She asks me why I I'mgetting tested, whether I haveany symptoms or haverecently travelled. I tellher I wantto get tested ... just because.

After this, I pullinto the actual tent where you get swabbed. Through this whole process, I'mwearing a mask, so when I rolldown my window, the nurse asksme to tilt my head back against the car seat and pull down my mask just below my nose.

That's when the fun starts.

A thin stick goes right up your nostril so far back it almost feels like it's going to hit your throat. The nurse moves it around a lot and it makes you cringe a little. It's not painful, per se, but it makesmy eyes water.

After two-and-a-half hours of waiting, within 15 seconds it's all over. As I'm leaving, I overhear the security guard tell someone else the wait is now closer to four hours.

The waiting game

I'm told it willtake one to two days to get my result, but that comes with a caveat: even if my test isnegative, the doctor says there's what's called a 30 per cent "false negative" rate. What that means is that there's still a 30 per cent chance I've been exposed to COVID-19. She saysif I start to develop symptoms I should come back and get tested again.

And so the refresh game begins. I've now logged in to the Ministry of Health site about a dozen times since Tuesday. As of Friday, my results haven't been posted online. I'll probably log in a dozen more times before the dayends.