KUNR Youth Media

Audio Diary: What It Was Like Getting Tested For COVID-19

KUNR Public Radio | By Isabella Wolf

Published February 1, 2021 at 6:58 AM PST

Isabella Wolf is wearing a mask and looking at the camera. — KUNR Youth Media’s Isabella Wolf staying protected while learning, in person, at Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology in Reno, Nev., on Nov. 2, 2020.";

Testing for COVID-19 can be scary. Whether or not the test comes back positive, factors such as the wait and uncertainty can have significant impacts.

KUNR Youth Media reporter Isabella Wolf explains what the process and wait were like to receive a COVID-19 test.

I was hanging out with someone and I got sick. I went home and I didn't think anything of it. Then my mom was like, “Yeah, you definitely have a fever.” And I was like, “Oh, I better tell my friend that I was with about what happened.”

So, I told him. I said, “Hey, this is what's happening, we were just hanging out for like, hours, right? I have a fever. I'm gonna go get tested for COVID tomorrow.” I let him know. I was like, “I am so sorry this happened.”

So, I went into urgent care. The guy talked to me and he was like, “Yeah, it's probably just a stomach bug. It's not likely that it's COVID.” So, they did the test. They stick this thing up your nostrils and it's not very pleasant, but it's fine.

My friend and I both stayed at our houses for like, the whole week. My parents still had to go to work and stuff, but it was so much waiting.

After I had rested a little bit, I started feeling better, but I was still waiting for those results. My friend that I was with was also waiting. So, they said like three to five days, right? So, three days came up, and I was like, “Okay, my friend can stop having to call into his work, and I can go back to work, and I can go back to school, and everything will be great.”

I think after five days, we finally got the results. That doesn't seem like that long, but oh my gosh, it felt like forever. Luckily, they came back negative. I was very, very grateful for that. Obviously, I was feeling much better by then. It was really nice to be able to kind of go a little bit back to life.

I feel like I've definitely been a little more careful since that experience. After hearing everything about the virus for the past year, it was really scary when I thought that [infecting my friend] was a possibility.

It's no joke. Nobody's immune. Obviously, certain groups are more susceptible than others but it's affecting everybody.

Isabella Wolf is a senior at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology in Reno. KUNR’s Youth Media program is a special partnership with the Washoe County School District to train the next generation of journalists.

KUNR's Jayden Perez adapted this story for the web.

Learn more about the KUNR Youth Media program

Each fall and spring semester, our dedicated program coordinator partners with the WCSD educator to mentor a select group of high school interns. The internship classes are typically from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the high school, providing a structured environment where students receive comprehensive instruction.

The students are taught radio journalism, broadcast journalism, and media production, gaining real-world professional experience that helps them develop career skills. Students work with media professionals to produce creative audio stories and elevate voices from our region.

As part of the program, students are offered the opportunity to tour KUNR’s facilities and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, where they will have the chance to record their broadcasts under the guidance of the WCSD educator and the program coordinator.

This semester-long project is designed to facilitate the airing of the students' stories on KUNR and the publication of their work on KUNR.org. Through this experiential learning approach, students gain valuable insights into public media and develop practical skills using industry-standard equipment.

The KUNR Youth Media Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring that students receive scholarly guidance on the standards and practices associated with audio journalism production.

Our program is committed to fostering a safe and constructive learning environment for all participants. KUNR is dedicated to nurturing the creative ideas of students in the program and, prior to publication, KUNR’s Managing Editor reviews all submitted work to ensure that it aligns with KUNR’s established media standards and expectations.

This program was formerly known as Reno Youth Radio.