One day, in the afternoon, the air conditioning was too strong and I caught a cold.
Coincidentally, the delivery of the PS5 with a subsidy of billions of dollars arrived on the same day. I placed it on the table with my weak body and contacted a seller on a certain online marketplace to back up the Hong Kong version. It was done in one go. I bought a second-hand disc from the same online marketplace. I used the disc drive for the first time and inserted it upside down, but it could still read and play the game. I played the game for about 10 minutes, and the storyline was great. However, my discomfort worsened. I felt weak and my legs went numb. I realized that I had caught a cold, so I didn't dare to neglect it and drank hot water while lying in bed.
After a while, I got a thermometer and placed it under my armpit. It showed a temperature of 38 degrees, which made me worried. I asked a delivery rider to buy medicine for me. The form at the pharmacy required a low temperature, but my temperature was above 38 degrees. I filled in a fake value and got the medicine. I planned to go to the hospital for a medical consultation the next day.
The next day, I rode my bike to the hospital. After taking the medicine, my temperature returned to normal. In order to be responsible to the community, I decided to go to the fever clinic. It didn't take long to get there.
I saw a doctor wearing an N95 mask and a security guard with a solemn expression. The doctor asked me about my fever last night and the process I went through. The doctor handed me a form to fill out, which included various information for contact tracing. It was quite long. After completing the contact tracing, I saw a wooden board on the right side with bold red letters that read, "After the nucleic acid test report, you need to isolate and observe for at least three hours." I was shocked by the long isolation time, so I asked if I needed to wait for the full duration before receiving medical treatment. The doctor was displeased and replied, "The hospital is for medical treatment." After that, the doctor changed to another N95 mask and led me to the outpatient hall following the markings.
It was still early and there weren't many people in the outpatient hall. A doctor stood at the entrance and when he saw me, he took a disinfectant wipe and wiped the seat several times. He instructed me to sit down, fearing that the seat might be contaminated. He asked how long I would be staying and if I could stand instead of sitting. The doctor said no, so I sat down. The doctor then verbally instructed me to fill out a form and guided me through measuring my temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate according to the instructions.
After obtaining the basic parameters, the next step was to collect samples related to the virus. I left the outpatient area and a doctor followed me, wearing even more protective gear. The doctor said that a nasal swab and an antigen test were needed. The doctor also asked about my blood clotting condition and the details of certain medications, but I don't remember the specifics. I replied that everything was normal. Then, a long cotton swab was inserted into my nose for the nasal swab, which was longer and softer than the throat swab and took more time. After that, a regular cotton swab was used to swab both sides of my nose for the antigen test. The doctor then asked me to put on rubber gloves and hand over the test tube.
I returned to the outpatient area and handed the test tube to the doctor. The doctor asked me to wait again for a complete blood count test. Another doctor came by from time to time to draw blood. After the test was completed, I heard the doctor arranging for registration and payment. After a while, my number was called, and the doctor examined me, prescribed medication, and collected payment. The doctor brought the medication and guided me to a separate room.
The room for isolation was about twenty-something rooms away. I entered room number ten and scanned the QR code to join a group of patients. There were also more than thirty doctors in the group.
Without delay, I quickly entered the room. The room was relatively clean with a white disposable bed sheet on the bed. The bathroom was also clean, except for a yellow garbage bag, everything else was clean and white.
During the isolation period, I felt thirsty. I saw a message in the group that said I could order meals for 15 yuan each. It was still early, but the meal arrived and it tasted good.
In the afternoon, another message came saying that the test results were out. I was allowed to leave the isolation room after signing and received a notification stating that the isolation period was over. It could be used as proof of having had a fever.