I tested negative again

Minnesota recently promoted a mail-order saliva test that can be used at home. It checks your spit sample for "RNA from several genes that are expressed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19".

Our state's cases are finally spiking, after weeks of being surrounded by states with skyrocketing covid cases. Our neighbors had some of the worst numbers in the USA for several weeks. The U.S. Air Force even classified some of their bases in this area as "red" installations, meaning that they are soft quarantined, with no personnel shifting to or from those bases without special authorization. The Minnesota spike is also now linked to the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota. As every sensible person knew would happen.

I have a few general reasons to be concerned about this particular illness and its potential effect on me.

• I'm still concerned about this coronavirus eventually becoming a lifelong infection. I've finally seen my first news article dancing around that very question by asking how we distinguish distant reinfections from "lingering infection".
• People with Neanderthal genes (and I have 301 of those variants, according to my 23AndMe.com test results, more than 84% of their other customers) may have an increased risk of severe infection.
• Studies are also noticing that simply being male seems to increase risk of severe infection and death.

I tested again this week for a few specific reasons, though.

• I was notified of a confirmed covid19 case at the building where I work, although it was not on my floor.
• I went to that protest/march and joined half a thousand strangers on the street, all masked properly and socially distanced.

Both events that first week of November offered slim chance of being infected, but both were significantly more than zero chance, so... I got tested. I received the results just a few minutes ago by email.  They found no traces of that covid rna in my saliva.  They cautioned that there's a 1% chance of a false negative result, so they encourage people to continue to follow "current CDC and local guidelines".

So, that's some good news this week.  I tested negative on an antibody blood test in April, and I tested negative again today on a saliva test.  Stay safe out there.