What's the COVID Testing Situation in Your Area?

[Qs Laptop]

A friend of mine suspected he might have Covid and because he's caring for his 89 year old mother (she's immunized and boosted) he wanted to get tested for Covid.

Here in Minnesota there are only a few walk-in test sites, in fact, they just shut down walk-ins at one of the sites because they were being overrun by people. So, you need an appointment. Appointments are running 4 to 5 days out. If you get the nasal swab PCR test, considered most accurate, you get your results in 2 to 3 days. Thus, if you think you have Covid in Minnesota it could be a week before you know for sure whether or not you have it. I think this is unacceptable.

What is the testing situation where you are at? Please give your state or city and describe how long it takes to get tested.

Now, consider the latest guidelines from the CDC. If you have Covid, and have no symptoms, or symptoms are resolved, you should isolate for 5 days. OK, so let's suppose I have symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, body aches) and think I have Covid. I make an appointment to get tested in 4 days and isolate myself. After 2 days I have no symptoms. After 4 days I go get tested. After 6 days, 4 days with no symptoms, my test comes back and I have tested positive.

According to the CDC I have to isolate for 1 more day, which I would have done anyways. So what good did getting tested do for me?

 

[pacergal]

Last time I needed a test was a couple months ago, but got one same day at PCP office, with results later that night, second test was next day and late night result.
I was able to order home test online and get within a week.
SIL was able to order and pick up home test at Walgreens same day a few weeks ago.
This is PNW area.

In your case, with a positive result and no symptoms, I would isolate 5 days from positive, added to the days you have already isolated. But I am extra cautious and around some who can't be vaxxed or are undergoing cancer treatment.

 

[Sojourner]

Appointments are running 4 to 5 days out. If you get the nasal swab PCR test, considered most accurate, you get your results in 2 to 3 days. Thus, if you think you have Covid in Minnesota it could be a week before you know for sure whether or not you have it. I think this is unacceptable.

What is the testing situation where you are at? Please give your state or city and describe how long it takes to get tested.

Here in metro Atlanta, the situation is just as bad. All testing is by appointment only (AFAIK), and the first available test of any kind (rapid or PCR) that I could find in my area is four days from now, Sunday afternoon. All home test kits are completely sold out online and in stores, last I checked. I suppose this is what we should have expected when over 400,000 people are testing positive every day in the U.S.

According to the CDC I have to isolate for 1 more day, which I would have done anyways. So what good did getting tested do for me?

Testing 4-5 days after exposure and (probably) several days after the onset of symptoms is fairly useless for most people. Treatments such as the new Pfizer or Merck pills need to begin within 1-2 days of symptom onset to be effective, so knowing that you're COVID-positive so long after the fact isn't substantially "actionable", IMHO, especially with omicron having such a rapid onset of illness after infection.

 

[harllee]

I think it is similar here in NC. Must have an appointment to get tested, first available appointment 5 days out. All the home tests are sold out locally. But if you check Walmart.com occasionally (usually early in the morning) they have the home tests for 2 day shipping.

 

[rodi]

On the ground in San Diego

Testing was easy to obtain as recently as mid December. A friend was able to get a walk up test on 12/22... had to wait in line for an hour... but it was available.

There are *no* rapid tests available for sale. All of the stores have signs stating they have no tests.

Not sure about the current state of walk up tests - but appointments for the county run PCR tests are 5-7 days out.

A friend tested through Kaiser Permanente (largest insurer in our county) on NYE. She received her positive results yesterday. Her boyfriend has different insurance and can't get tested through his provider and can't find a public/county testing site with availability. His workplace is asking for test results since he's been home sick for the past week.

Same friend wanted to test again through Kaiser to confirm her covid is cleared... was told they have changed the rules - only really sick people can get referred for testing - not just sore throat or sniffles. (FWIW, her symptoms were sore throat and sniffles - and she tested positive.)

Another location I'm following: San Jose, CA. My son tested positive at a pay clinic on NYE. No one else in his girlfriend's household tested positive (he'd been there 3 days). They've been trying to test again since. Drove to San Rafael to a public testing site - missed being tested by about 10 cars when the site ran out of tests. (4 hours down the tube.) Got appointments in Gilroy CA on Monday. Showed up early but line was over 2 hours long and they had zoom classes they needed to attend. (Classes started on Monday at their University - which they are not at - because of covid positive son.) One of the household was able to find a rapid test on Monday - and tested positive. Girlfriend had 1 day of achyness...

At this point son and girlfriend are heading to school on Friday and hope to not test positive. (Son shouldn't have to test since he has an official 'positive' and requisite number of days since.)

If you don't need to interact with others (retired, not in school)... sure, skip the test with mild symptoms... but if you have in person work or school, are a caregiver for a senior or immune compromised person, etc... - you should get tested... which is hard to do these days.

 

[youbet]

Here in the Chicago suburbs, we can still walk into sites and get both tests free. We have 4 sites within 3 miles, 1 within walking distance (if it's nice out since it is a half mile away).

I haven't actually been tested in about 2 weeks, but at that time no waiting, immediate test results for the rapid test and the PCP results by email the next day.

I understand the drive-through, stay in your car, sites do have lines. But I haven't actually gone to one in a long time.

 

[street]

My neighbor has been sick for over a week and so has his wife. Both un-vaxed and he was hauled away today with ambulance. His wife called me this afternoon and said he was tested, and he has covid.
He has many health issues and I'm very worried about him.

Here testing is not that easy to get in my understanding. We live in America not sure why testing hasn't been made easier for people.

 

[Ronstar]

I don’t have a clue as to where to get a test. I saw something on Facebook that a medical co was giving tests at the school - one time only during an afternoon about a week ago.

The local health dept sponsors mega vaccine clinics with no mention on how to get tested.

Getting the vaccine locally is easy - getting a test is a different story.

 

[Another Reader]

On the ground in San Diego

Testing was easy to obtain as recently as mid December. A friend was able to get a walk up test on 12/22... had to wait in line for an hour... but it was available.

There are *no* rapid tests available for sale. All of the stores have signs stating they have no tests.

Not sure about the current state of walk up tests - but appointments for the county run PCR tests are 5-7 days out.

A friend tested through Kaiser Permanente (largest insurer in our county) on NYE. She received her positive results yesterday. Her boyfriend has different insurance and can't get tested through his provider and can't find a public/county testing site with availability. His workplace is asking for test results since he's been home sick for the past week.

Same friend wanted to test again through Kaiser to confirm her covid is cleared... was told they have changed the rules - only really sick people can get referred for testing - not just sore throat or sniffles. (FWIW, her symptoms were sore throat and sniffles - and she tested positive.)

Another location I'm following: San Jose, CA. My son tested positive at a pay clinic on NYE. No one else in his girlfriend's household tested positive (he'd been there 3 days). They've been trying to test again since. Drove to San Rafael to a public testing site - missed being tested by about 10 cars when the site ran out of tests. (4 hours down the tube.) Got appointments in Gilroy CA on Monday. Showed up early but line was over 2 hours long and they had zoom classes they needed to attend. (Classes started on Monday at their University - which they are not at - because of covid positive son.) One of the household was able to find a rapid test on Monday - and tested positive. Girlfriend had 1 day of achyness...

At this point son and girlfriend are heading to school on Friday and hope to not test positive. (Son shouldn't have to test since he has an official 'positive' and requisite number of days since.)

If you don't need to interact with others (retired, not in school)... sure, skip the test with mild symptoms... but if you have in person work or school, are a caregiver for a senior or immune compromised person, etc... - you should get tested... which is hard to do these days.

Too late now, but the County runs a testing site at the Fairgrounds in San Jose. Appointments have been running three days out. Occasionally you can snag a cancellation. Stanford has a walk up clinic at the medical center and the Redwood City site accepts walk ups as well, even though it isn't shown on the Stanford Healthcare website. There are some other options that are not free and some organizations that hold clinics at schools and churches. I had three tests in four days. Stanford, PAMF and the County.

 

[disneysteve]

Testing sites are overwhelmed. They simply don't have the capacity to handle the outrageous volume of people wanting/needing to be tested.


If you have been exposed and now have symptoms, just assume you are positive and quarantine accordingly. If someone else in your household has COVID and other family members are sick, they have COVID too. You don't need to prove each case with a test.


Exceptions? If you are immunocompromised or pregnant, if you are unvaccinated and high risk due to other medical conditions, or if you are 80+, get tested and seek out monoclonal antibody therapy. Otherwise, quarantine and treat the symptoms and seek medical care if your symptoms worsen.

 

[youbet]

I don’t have a clue as to where to get a test. I saw something on Facebook that a medical co was giving tests at the school - one time only during an afternoon about a week ago.

The local health dept sponsors mega vaccine clinics with no mention on how to get tested.

Getting the vaccine locally is easy - getting a test is a different story.

I can't fathom that we're fairly close together and I'm surrounded with free testing sites and you can't find one. How far west of Chicago are you? PM me with that if you wish.

Call all the franchise drug stores within driving distance and see if any of them are testing or can give you clues where to get tested. Call the local hospital and ask for help getting tested. Call your doc and ask. Call any of the medical practices you can think of such as Amita or Dupage Medical Group, Northwest Medicine, etc. Check TrilabCovidTesting.com. Google Covid testing and see what comes up.

I know you're in a much more rural location than me (everyone is in a much more rural location than me), but it's not like you're in the Artic Circle or such. There's gotta be something around you.

 

[disneysteve]

Call all the franchise drug stores within driving distance and see if any of them are testing or can give you clues where to get tested. Call the local hospital and ask for help getting tested. Call your doc and ask. Call any of the medical practices you can think of such as Amita or Dupage Medical Group, Northwest Medicine, etc. Check TrilabCovidTesting.com. Google Covid testing and see what comes up.

Also check the website of your county health department. They should list testing resources.


Keep in mind that most of those places are swamped so it could take days to get an appointment, but there should be options out there.

 

[Trailwalker]

Madison,Wisconsin, which is about 30 minutes from me, has walk-in PCR testing Monday through Friday with results within 24 hours.

I haven't needed their services (knock on wood).

 

[Another Reader]

Testing sites are overwhelmed. They simply don't have the capacity to handle the outrageous volume of people wanting/needing to be tested.


If you have been exposed and now have symptoms, just assume you are positive and quarantine accordingly. If someone else in your household has COVID and other family members are sick, they have COVID too. You don't need to prove each case with a test.


Exceptions? If you are immunocompromised or pregnant, if you are unvaccinated and high risk due to other medical conditions, or if you are 80+, get tested and seek out monoclonal antibody therapy. Otherwise, quarantine and treat the symptoms and seek medical care if your symptoms worsen.

The problem with that is if you get Long Covid, you need a positive PCR to get treatment at most clinics. It's a huge problem in insurance billing.

 

[skyking1]

I want to thank @disneysteve for his post #10 above. The info may be out there but that was a great summary.
Yesterday and today I drove by a drive-in testing site on my way to a job. The cars were lined up a half-mile by 11 AM yesterday and when I went by at 1 PM today.
I'll be by there again tomorrow and report.

 

[disneysteve]

The problem with that is if you get Long Covid, you need a positive PCR to get treatment at most clinics. It's a huge problem in insurance billing.

Interesting point. If there’s no documentation that you had COVID, they can’t call it Long COVID later. That is a problem.

 

[disneysteve]

Yesterday and today I drove by a drive-in testing site on my way to a job. The cars were lined up a half-mile by 11 AM yesterday and when I went by at 1 PM today.
I'll be by there again tomorrow and report.

I heard that one local site got shut down the other day because the line of cars waiting stretched so far down the road it was creating a traffic and safety hazard. I’m not sure what happened after that.

 

[whatnot]

How do people get COVID tests needed to meet requirements to fly internationally? Tests must be done 72 hours prior to,departure. It sounds like results may not get back within 3 days.
I am flying out of the country mid February (?) and need to learn more about when and where to get tested.

 

[Aerides]

How do people get COVID tests needed to meet requirements to fly internationally? Tests must be done 72 hours prior to,departure. It sounds like results may not get back within 3 days.
I am flying out of the country mid February (?) and need to learn more about when and where to get tested.

For travel, for a while now, you need to look into private testing clinics. Not the public testing facilities, which are supposed to be for those with symptoms.

And of course, everything changed in the past 2-3 weeks. So, I'm not surprised that the testing infrastructure hasn't caught up. The country has gone from 100k cases per day to 500k+... Now 10x that for those getting tested. The system is overwhelmed.

 

[gayl]

SF East Bay, California

Free tests at CVS Minute Clinic are 5 days out, StatMed free drive through test slots tonight, paid sites available tomorrow. County clinic tests a week out BUT you must meet 'criteria.' I don't meet the criteria (don't work in Healthcare or schools, not a minority, or immunocompromised)

 

[Another Reader]

Interesting point. If there’s no documentation that you had COVID, they can’t call it Long COVID later. That is a problem.

It's a severe problem. Most "first wavers" do not have a test of any kind. The tests were not available or the criteria were were too stringent - had to have traveled outside the country, etc. Between a quarter to a third of patients never seroconvert, so they can't use antibody tests as evidence. Insurance companies are denying treatment as a result. Post-Covid clinics, the majority of which are useless anyway, do not accept patients without a positive test. Fauci said 10 to 30 percent will develop Long Covid. Now millions more will not get tested because of the case load.

Tens of millions have gotten or will get Long Covid and be unable to work. No treatment and no disability support without a test. What will that mean to the economy?

 

[Vacation4us]

My son called me last night with a 103.2 fever feels awful. Both his girlfriend and I spent well over an hour and a half looking for an appointment. County site directs you to each possible site that has testing. You have to spend time inputting all the information to find out they have no appt until the 17 th.

If your sick how do you spend hours searching for an appt? It’s insane. I told him if he still has a high temp in the am despite the Tylenol/Motrin regime I am having him take. We will just go to urgent care.

My personal opinion if you aren’t symptomatic don’t go get a test a sick person needs. But common sense has died in America.

Son is vaccinated with J&J. He has a history of asthma. Who knows he might have the flu. Weather it’s Covid or the flu I believe it’s important to know and be treated as necessary.

 

[disneysteve]

We will just go to urgent care
.

I hope he feels better soon.

High fever like that sounds more like flu.

As for going to urgent care, they are overwhelmed too. We are a “walk in” facility but for the past few weeks we’ve been scheduling visits and we’re typically at capacity for the day by 9:30 am. So don’t just show up at urgent care expecting to get in. You may have a several hour wait or may even get turned away.

 

[Alan]

As for going to urgent care, they are overwhelmed too. We are a “walk in” facility but for the past few weeks we’ve been scheduling visits and we’re typically at capacity for the day by 9:30 am. So don’t just show up at urgent care expecting to get in. You may have a several hour wait or may even get turned away.

My wife's niece had to go to urgent care on Dec 26th. She tested negative for Covid on admittance to hospital.

2 or 3 days later her Covid phone app alerted her that she had been in close contact with someone who had later tested positive for Covid on Dec 26th. 3 days after that alert she developed symptoms, tested positive and was moved to a Covid ward. (She is doing okay, not on oxygen and the treatment regime is working as last night we heard that she is doing better).

That is a long way of me saying that going to urgent care with Covid-like symptoms to get a test is a good way to spread it if you do have it. At our local hospital there are big signs directing folks to an outside testing center in the grounds of the hospital, with signs at all entrances stressing that you should not enter if you have symptoms that may be Covid.

 

[jollystomper]

In the DC/MD/VA area, an additional pressure on testing is a large number of non-Covid viral bugs that are also circulating since early December. This a according to professionals at our family practice, and my brother who has his own practice. At that to asymptomatic folks who want to travel, or who are returning from traveling, etc.

The urgent care places around here are not letting you come into the building if you want a test. You enroll online and then wait in you car in the parking lot, where they come out and administer the test. Interestingly, you can come in for something non-covid related, but at least one place tests you anyway. One of my friends hurt his ankle doing work around the home, he was able to get in for that, but they still (and it was not his choice) insisted he be tested for covid. He tested positive, but has no symptoms.

Test kits are tough to get. Our county has been offering them via library sign up. In early December their web response time was good and it took a couple of hours for the kits to be claimed. Now their server gets overwhelmed and were in less than 10 minutes. Another nearby county was handing them out in front of the library, Cars started lining up 2 hours ahead of time and their was quite the traffic snarl by the time they started handed them out. They probably had a tenth of the kits for the cars that were lined up.

PCR test results are also taking longer. Similar to what someone related above, when my wife got tested for mild symptoms in late December(the same as I had about 10 day earlier, and I was negative), the rapid test was negative. In the past when she test negative they would send her samples out for a PCR test. Now they told her the PCR turnaround was so long, by the time it came back, it would be beyond the time she should isolate, so it made no sense to do that test.