HALIFAX -- Like tens of thousands of other Nova Scotians, Tracy Finney went for a routine COVID test at a pop-up rapid testing site this week.
Finney says she was surprised when her test result came back positive, despite having no symptoms.
"I have no symptoms and I was positive,” Finney told CTV News. “I'm glad I got tested because I could be going out and visiting friends because I feel great and exposing them to the virus."
Finney is now isolating at her Dartmouth apartment. She says her daughter had been staying with her but after testing positive for the virus on Wednesday, went to isolate at her father’s house.
"Her test was negative, thank God,” said Finney.
While Finney isolates at her Dartmouth apartment, friends drop off supplies she may need and Finney uses a rope to pull them over her balcony.
"I feel great, just going a little stir crazy because I like to be outside. I go out on my deck, that's about all I can do right now,” she said.
Nova Scotia has been pushing asymptomatic testing for months.
"We are seeing people turn up at the pop ups, no symptoms who are positive and they look at me and they go 'I have no idea where I came in contact with the virus',” said Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious disease specialist and scientist.
Barrett says early detection is key to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
"Every single person we catch early is saving ten, twenty transmissions of infections to other people with this kind of virus that spreads easily and that is huge. We would be in much worse shape if we weren’t detecting every day double digits of people who don’t even know that they have symptoms, that they have the virus,” said Barrett.
As for Finney, she believes she contracted the virus in the community and plans to get vaccinated as soon as she recovers and is eligible.
"I wish people would get out and take this serious and get tested whether you have symptoms or not,” she said.
