Testing Positive by Rafi Sackville

Israel Today Testing Positive

By Rafi Sackville

Everyone seems to have a Covid story to tell. We’ve all been witness to its lack of discrimination, its carnage, to its victims.

Over the last two years, my wife and I have diligently followed Israeli government regulations. When we were told to stay at home, we did; when the vaccination arrived in Israel, we received it on the first possible day; when the booster shots were offered, we took them without question. For two years we eluded the virus, until one day I didn’t.

By now, readers should be aware that I work in a high school. It’s an environment that can best be likened to a petri-dish. If there’s something out there, it’s going to be found in school.

Not everyone is properly focused when it comes to wearing masks. Unfortunately, not everyone cares.

By the beginning of February, the infection rate in our school was growing rapidly. Teachers and students were “falling” like veritable flies. Including the administrative staff and maintenance, my colleagues number just over sixty souls. Within a threeweek period, almost fifteen came down with the virus. This was in line with the Ministry of Health’s prediction that a third of all school bodies would be infected. The country was about to break an ignominious record of serious Covid cases, and the number of cases throughout the country was rising.

I had been sick twice during January with flu-like symptoms. On both occasions, I drove to the Terem/Magen David Adom station and took a PCR test.

On the first occasion, I arrived at 7:30 a.m. The attendant told me I was early as they were only going to open at 8:00. While I was waiting, he approached me again.

“Because you’re considered an old person [he used the word kashish, which in Hebrew denotes someone very old], we’re going to open up early just for you.”

I might be approaching sixty-five, but kashish! Didn’t that make me feel special?!

Those two tests were both negative, which didn’t make me feel any better, what with a sore throat and general fatigue. Once I came down with a severe case of the shakes. As a result, I stayed home twice during January, both times with a fever and a sore throat.

I thought I was feeling better. So upon returning to school after my first bout of flu, I walked into the principal’s secretary and asked her to give me a Rapid Antigen Test. It, too, was negative. I therefore assumed that upon returning to school after my second bout of flu-like symptoms I would test the same.

The principal’s secretary can act hysterically at the calmest of times. She’d administered the test so often she was doing it by rote. She wasn’t paying attention to the kit when I asked her about the two lines I was looking at. She began a’yellin’ and a’hollerin’.

“Get out of my office! You’ve got Corona. Get out!” I thought she liked me.

I went back to take a PCR test… again. This time I mistakenly left with one of the usher’s telephone. It rang just as I walked into our apartment. It was the same guy who’d called me kashish a week and a half earlier.

“Hey, kashish,” he said. “Please bring me my phone.”

“I will if you don’t call me kashish,” I replied.

“Hey, man. You are what you are.” So I went back…again.

Later that night, I received notification that I had officially tested positive. Thus began six days at home.

I have a few takeaways from that week that was. Firstly, I am grateful that our health services provided Israeli citizens vaccinations and boosters shots in a timely manner. I perish the thought of what might have happened to me two years ago without the vaccination.

Secondly, even primitive contact tracing works. Despite the fact that increased testing vigilance has resulted in an increase in the number of cases, it has allowed schools to have greater control over their student bodies.

For example, if a student tests positive, a message will go out informing the entire school body of when he/she was last in school, in attendance in which classes, and who should subsequently get tested.

The 7th of February was a Sunday. On that day, 17,000 students across the country were found positive after taking a Rapid Antigen Test at home. Critics were vociferous in suggesting that such testing vigilance was going to crash the entire school system. The Minister of Education’s response to the number was: “Can you imagine what would have happened had those 17,000 students been allowed to attend school?” A fair point.

Thirdly, not getting vaccinated has proven unwise. People falling very ill across the country are predominantly – although not exclusively – unvaccinated. I remain struck by the obstinance of many people. One’s right to act independently while avoiding health risks should not be mutually exclusive. Then again, trusting one’s government is not something that all citizens take for granted.

Fourthly, wearing masks has got nothing to do with politics. Closed environments like school are rife with floating, unseen dangers. Asking students to mask-up is a matter of logic: a basic health requirement. Unfortunately, there are many students who couldn’t be bothered to mask-up for no other reason than they couldn’t be bothered.

Last, but not least, even after being vaccinated and boosted, coming down with Covid is not a pleasant experience.

It was like drinking a non-alcoholic beer; you know it’s a beer, but the side effects are minimal, even non-existent. My breathing wasn’t affected, but I was weak, had the occasional shake, and a headache. I also suffered a residual tiredness for days after I returned to work.

The number of students and teachers on sick leave is slowly returning to manageable levels. I have completely recovered and feel blessed to have come out the other end unscathed.

The worst memory of the experience was being called kashish. I guess that’s something I’ll have to live with.