Dear Dr. Bonnie Henry,
I’m sure that you’re getting a little tired of me. All these letters. All this whining! But I wanted to share a little story with you.
I had a dentist appointment scheduled a few weeks ago. Like everyone, I’ve been falling behind on my oral hygiene, what with the post-lockdown backlog and all. But my dentist managed to get caught up and had an opening for me in late November. I was so excited, I even started flossing again!
The day before my appointment, I completed the pre-screening questionnaire. It was all going well until that fateful final question: “In the past two weeks, have you been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID?” Well, I’m a teacher and a student in my class tested positive; I was asked by VCH to monitor for symptoms, so I answered “Yes.”
That’s not the answer the dentist wanted, I guess, because soon we were on the phone rescheduling my appointment. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think the dentist did the right thing. I would have rescheduled too in his circumstance. I’m happy he is taking care to look after his employees’ wellness. In fact, it makes me happy knowing that when I do get to his office, I’m sure to be safe.
But it got me thinking. What if at my job I keep getting exposed? When will I be able to get my teeth cleaned again? When will I be able to see the massage therapist, physiotherapist, optometrist?
Now, I know what you’re thinking. These are small potatoes. I’m not heading home to an immuno-compromised partner nor do I have my elderly parents living with me. Surely I can live with a little halitosis. Of course, I can. In fact, that’s one of the hidden benefits of mask-wearing, heh, heh. And, no, I haven’t been too offended that my wife makes me wear the mask to bed these days.
But I do have to wonder, Doc, if you can tell me what I should do? I figure I’ve got three options: I cross my fingers and hope that the next case that occurs in my class is not in the two-week window; I can lie on the questionnaire, or I can take two weeks off before my next appointment.
I bet there are lots of stories like this out there. Not earth-shattering things, just unintended consequences. You know, things that leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Paul Demers is a long-time Squamish resident and high school teacher in Squamish.
