Thread by @DavidSteadson

Long thread incoming!

So as I reported earlier, I tested positive for Covid on Tuesday. I thought I'd explain the process that has occurred with testing and contact tracing. This is applicable to my region only (Uppsala), but is similar for all over Sweden.

I hope this gives some insight in to how Sweden is handling the Covid crisis. (hint: badly)

On Saturday, my wife started experiencing symptoms. Coughing and feeling of burning up along with fatigue. No temperature.

Sunday evening, despite having had #longcovid symptoms for nearly 10 months including a cough and SPO2 problems I began to experience additional symptoms.

This included the sensation of burning up (especially forehead), chills, and a racing heart. I posted about it early Monday morning. The low SPO2 has been a common thing since April. The spike in resting heart rate was new.

https://twitter.com/DavidSteadson/status/1345932873581420550?s=20

Monday evening after I'd finally got some sleep this was followed by lots of aches and pains in joints and elsewhere. This definitely felt a new infection. My wife was feeling a bit better but now reported a loss of taste and smell.

I turned to 1177.se the central website for our health region. It leads with information on Covid-19.

Note: nothing apparent for other languages, despite the fact that we are 10 months in to this pandemic and foreign-born - have been disproportionality affected.

You have to scroll right down to the bottom of the page to find this -

Selecting English under there gives me this page. This was the same for all languages I checked, including Sweden's other official languages, just the top link changed languages.

That link went off to a page on the Public Health Authority's website about the different restrictions and recommendations in Sweden.

There was no information in any language except Swedish about how to book a test. Not even in other official languages.

The Swedish text in the bottom box says you can't call to book a test, and then links to the standard Swedish booking page.

Fortunately, I do understand Swedish. I expect many other foreign-born would have by now given up.

Next, a LONG page on how to book a test. As a somewhat experienced UX designer, it's a disaster. I had to scroll almost to the bottom of the page to find instructions for "Adults and children from 16 years"

1177.se/Uppsala-lan/sj…

It asks me to pick a health centre, and warns I need BankID - a digital identification system - in order to book a test. Right at the bottom it gives advises those without BankID to contact their local health centre, and links to a list.

Several Swedes resident in the UK (and no BankID) who have returned recently and whom the Public Health Authority advises to be tested because of the spreading UK variant, have reported they've been unable to book a test through this method - they need BankID.

So I select my local health centre and login with my BankID, it gives me a long list of things I can book. Again, bad UX, I've already told them what I want to book.

This is the current options. 2 times available tomorrow and 2 on Friday. Monday evening there were 3 times available Tuesday morning, so that went well and I booked for 11.45

I received some information to arrive as close as the time of booking as possible, and the usual information about distancing etc. Nothing on masks of course.

I wish I'd taken some photos of the next stages, but sorry, didn't think of it!

Arrived at the health centre and there was a sign to go around the corner. Around the corner was a bus. A man in mask and visor came out and asked if I had a booked time, I said I had. He said he was for drop-in tests.

I didn't even know this was available, and it was mentioned nowhere on the website. He pointed for me to follow some footprints in the snow to a window around the corner. An elderly lady rocked up for a drop-in test, I went to the window.

There were 2 nurses inside, masks/visors/gloves who confirmed my ID and confirmed I hadn't tested positive in the previous 6 months. If I had, I would be ineligible for the test.

They conducted the test. Nasal and throat swabs. Uncomfortable but very quick and I was on my way.

I was given no information on how I would receive my test result or when. Back on 1177.se it said I should get the result in three days, but it could take longer, in the meantime it said stay at home etc etc.

When I took the test on Tuesday the site said they would call me if I had a positive test, otherwise check my journal.

Today I see it advises the result will be in my journal in both cases, check there.

I manically checked my journal every hour or so throughout the day.

8.17 this morning I received an SMS (in Swedish) - "you a have a question to answer on 1177 health e-service. Log in to (url) to answer the question. Note: You cannot reply to this SMS"

I log in and find this in messages -

Message about a POSTIVE covid-19 test result with questions for quicker handling of your matter.

I login. There are instructions to stay home and lots of serious warnings that I'm legally responsible to do contact everyone I met the day before I had symptoms. There is a link to "rules of conduct" I must follow. It says (in Swedish) the rules are available in other languages

It then links to a PDF, in Swedish. Nothing about other languages.

slf.se/smittskyddslak…

There are then a long series of questions.
When did I get sick?
Do I work in health or aged care. If not, what's my school or workplace?
Will I contact my school or workplace?
Do you know you're in a risk group?
Has you or anyone in the household been abroad the past 14 days?

How many live in the household, what are there ages?
As anyone in the house been sick with Covid-19 before me?
When?
Anyone in the household without symptoms who can't do school/work from home (high school and up) and need official permission to quarantine?

Where do you think it was most likely you were infected, counting from 14 days to 2 days before you were infected
Home or outside the home?
When did they get sick?
What's your postal code?

Have you had contact with someone you could have infected from the day before you had symptoms?
Details?

Of note: There is no allowance for having been long-term ill (which doesn't surprise me) and no allowance for being infected by a visitor

In short - despite the horrible UX, booking and getting tested was relatively painless if you can read Swedish and are are a Swedish resident. Extremely difficult if you are not.

The contact tracing questions are OK but could use work. We'll see what happens with my answers.