Walgreens Testing Question

[packedandready]

The CVS rapid antigen test is NOT available in our area. The information on Walgreens website state their results in about 24 hours. How long did your Walgreen results actually take? I'm trying to determine a back-up plan.

 

[maureencruiser]

Search for the rapid test at Walgreens, results within an hour. It's worth an hour's drive or whatever. 

 

Edited November 16, 2021 by maureencruiser
added

[maureencruiser]

Also, you're sailing Dec 12.  Order the at home test, you've got plenty of time.

[Shippy]

not sure where you are going but most airports have clinics that do rapid testing.

[AustinCruise]

21 minutes ago, maureencruiser said:

Also, you're sailing Dec 12.  Order the at home test, you've got plenty of time.

This.

 

super easy. Delivered in 3-5 days. Results in 15 minutes. 
 

Only negative is the self pay part. But for the hassle saved it’s well worth it. 

[Notaworryintheworld]

49 minutes ago, packedandready said:

The CVS rapid antigen test is NOT available in our area. The information on Walgreens website state their results in about 24 hours. How long did your Walgreen results actually take? I'm trying to determine a back-up plan.

 

Both my husband and I did ID NOW at Walgreens and got results in an hour. Doing it again for our cruise in December. Could book a few days before in October but now looks like you can book a week out. 

[mauimary]

In Portland OR we cannot get a rapid antigen through Walgreen unless we lie on the questionnaire!  We have been unable to book a CVS rapid antigen. We can only get it if we answer that we have had a direct exposure to a Covid+ person or that we have symptoms!!  It’s all over the board on how far out you can book. 

 

We can get a PCR but it varies from pharmacy to pharmacy as they get sent out to different labs. They will not guarantee anything less than 3-5 days. Some say they come back in 24 but when you need a 48hr test that’s a bit too unreliable for us.   The only way we can get a test that we can get results from us a testing site by the airport for 175$ each. 
 

We did order the Abbot Binax Now proctored tests that we can do at home.  The OVC Abbott tests are not allowed. They have to be set up with an online proctor. So hopefully those turn out ok and that we do not do something to mess it up. We each ordered one extra test. They were about 35$ each. 
 

Hopefully others have better luck with Walgreen than we did. 

[travelhound]

15 minutes ago, mauimary said:

In Portland OR we cannot get a rapid antigen through Walgreen unless we lie on the questionnaire!  We have been unable to book a CVS rapid antigen. We can only get it if we answer that we have had a direct exposure to a Covid+ person or that we have symptoms!!  It’s all over the board on how far out you can book. 

 

We can get a PCR but it varies from pharmacy to pharmacy as they get sent out to different labs. They will not guarantee anything less than 3-5 days. Some say they come back in 24 but when you need a 48hr test that’s a bit too unreliable for us.   The only way we can get a test that we can get results from us a testing site by the airport for 175$ each. 
 

We did order the Abbot Binax Now proctored tests that we can do at home.  The OVC Abbott tests are not allowed. They have to be set up with an online proctor. So hopefully those turn out ok and that we do not do something to mess it up. We each ordered one extra test. They were about 35$ each. 
 

Hopefully others have better luck with Walgreen than we did. 

Yikes 😳 

[suzyluvs2cruise]

13 minutes ago, mauimary said:

In Portland OR we cannot get a rapid antigen through Walgreen unless we lie on the questionnaire!  We have been unable to book a CVS rapid antigen. We can only get it if we answer that we have had a direct exposure to a Covid+ person or that we have symptoms!!  It’s all over the board on how far out you can book. 

 

We can get a PCR but it varies from pharmacy to pharmacy as they get sent out to different labs. They will not guarantee anything less than 3-5 days. Some say they come back in 24 but when you need a 48hr test that’s a bit too unreliable for us.   The only way we can get a test that we can get results from us a testing site by the airport for 175$ each. 
 

We did order the Abbot Binax Now proctored tests that we can do at home.  The OVC Abbott tests are not allowed. They have to be set up with an online proctor. So hopefully those turn out ok and that we do not do something to mess it up. We each ordered one extra test. They were about 35$ each. 
 

Hopefully others have better luck with Walgreen than we did. 

 

I'm in So. Cal. and the CVS/Walgreens here do not offer $0 cost Covid testing for travel. Why...is a big question....as I see in Florida and other states cruisers are stating it's easy to get the Antigen test for $0 for travel. In our local area rapid tests are $100-$150pp. 

For our upcoming cruise(s) we'll do the EMed monitored tests. Really curious why it's different with CVS/Walgreens in different parts of the US. 

[nhraformula00]

Friend of mine did the rapid test this morning at Walgreens and had the results within an hour. He is positive for covid. The test was free as they did not ask him for insurance or to pay for it. He did the test because he was sick, not traveling.

[mauimary]

6 minutes ago, nhraformula00 said:

Friend of mine did the rapid test this morning at Walgreens and had the results within an hour. He is positive for covid. The test was free as they did not ask him for insurance or to pay for it. He did the test because he was sick, not traveling.

Yes correct If you have symptoms or direct exposure you can get a free one.  Not free for the purpose of travel like you have said. 

Edited November 16, 2021 by mauimary

[nhraformula00]

Good to know.

[coastcat]

2 hours ago, packedandready said:

The CVS rapid antigen test is NOT available in our area. The information on Walgreens website state their results in about 24 hours. How long did your Walgreen results actually take? I'm trying to determine a back-up plan.

 

 

I've done two PCR tests at my local Walgreens. Both were Thursday afternoon appointments at the same store. Results for the first test were ready Sunday morning with the email arriving as I was on the shuttle to port (luckily I did the video Binax on Saturday). For the second, I had the results by noon Friday.

 

So, not consistent.

[Coralc]

2 hours ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

I'm in So. Cal. and the CVS/Walgreens here do not offer $0 cost Covid testing for travel. Why...is a big question....as I see in Florida and other states cruisers are stating it's easy to get the Antigen test for $0 for travel. In our local area rapid tests are $100-$150pp. 

For our upcoming cruise(s) we'll do the EMed monitored tests. Really curious why it's different with CVS/Walgreens in different parts of the US. 

Holy smokes! I haven't looked at other places too much, but the home/proctored tests are looking like a deal. There was an ad in the paper today for a testing site, covidclinic.org that is advertising travel and other school/business testing. It looks like they have pop-ups all around California. 

 

And they hide the actual cost within their website. It is $99 per rapid antigen test! 

 

We aren't sailing until April, so we will have to see how it goes. I haven't looked at Walgreens, CVS or county sites yet. 

Edited November 16, 2021 by Coralc

[pcur]

18 minutes ago, Coralc said:

Holy smokes! I haven't looked at other places too much, but the home/proctored tests are looking like a deal. There was an ad in the paper today for a testing site, covidclinic.org that is advertising travel and other school/business testing. It looks like they have pop-ups all around California. 

 

And they hide the actual cost within their website. It is $99 per rapid antigen test! 

 

We aren't sailing until April, so we will have to see how it goes. I haven't looked at Walgreens, CVS or county sites yet. 

I haven't seen any pharmacy or testing site with a price tag lower than $130, so $99 is a deal.

 

The BinaxNOW, proctored or otherwise, is a great price at $30 - $35 each.  I took a (non-proctored) proctor test at home last week when I got back from Kauai.  Since it was only for my and my hosts peace of mind, I didn't do the video call.  Easy-peasy, and negative!

[IRMO12HD]

4 hours ago, mauimary said:

In Portland OR we cannot get a rapid antigen through Walgreen unless we lie on the questionnaire!  We have been unable to book a CVS rapid antigen. We can only get it if we answer that we have had a direct exposure to a Covid+ person or that we have symptoms!!  It’s all over the board on how far out you can book. 

 

We can get a PCR but it varies from pharmacy to pharmacy as they get sent out to different labs. They will not guarantee anything less than 3-5 days. Some say they come back in 24 but when you need a 48hr test that’s a bit too unreliable for us.   The only way we can get a test that we can get results from us a testing site by the airport for 175$ each. 
 

We did order the Abbot Binax Now proctored tests that we can do at home.  The OVC Abbott tests are not allowed. They have to be set up with an online proctor. So hopefully those turn out ok and that we do not do something to mess it up. We each ordered one extra test. They were about 35$ each. 
 

Hopefully others have better luck with Walgreen than we did. 

Washington state, too -- at least on the Eastern side of the state.

[ulcards99]

For those that have ordered the proctored tests through Royal Caribbean, are the expiration dates longer than mid-December? We cruise December 6 and I worry about getting an expired one. 

[maureencruiser]

3 hours ago, ulcards99 said:

For those that have ordered the proctored tests through Royal Caribbean, are the expiration dates longer than mid-December? We cruise December 6 and I worry about getting an expired one. 

 

I ordered a 2 pack from Optum as a back up for my September cruise, with the extended expiration date, it expires in January. Ordering 2 months later, you'll be fine.

[maureencruiser]

7 hours ago, mauimary said:

Yes correct If you have symptoms or direct exposure you can get a free one.  Not free for the purpose of travel like you have said. 

 

Are states doing tests differently?  In Virginia, I've had 2 tests at Walgreens, both were rapid and free.  Did the Seattle people check the testing at the airport, obviously I don't know how it works.  https://www.portseattle.org/page/travel-and-covid-19-testing

 

[dgm9610]

Where I live I can only get the rapid diagnostic test ( ID now) from walgreens, will RCI accept that?

[maureencruiser]

2 minutes ago, dgm9610 said:

Where I live I can only get the rapid diagnostic test ( ID now) from walgreens, will RCI accept that?

 

Yes, that's the 24 hour test.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

10 hours ago, maureencruiser said:

Search for the rapid test at Walgreens, results within an hour. It's worth an hour's drive or whatever. 

 

well, walgreens in our state do not offer the super rapid antigen test. The nearest one that offers it is 2 states away. Way more than an hour's drive.

 

We booked the one hour rapid antigen tests at CVS, and booked Walgreens 24 hour rapid tests as backup on the same day.

[DrDani226]

1 hour ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

well, walgreens in our state do not offer the super rapid antigen test. The nearest one that offers it is 2 states away. Way more than an hour's drive.

 

We booked the one hour rapid antigen tests at CVS, and booked Walgreens 24 hour rapid tests as backup on the same day.

Same. 

[Teeara]

We did the rapid test at Walgreens in Port St. Lucie, FL on 10/30 and had our results within an hour of taking it.  It was very easy.

[coastcat]

9 hours ago, IRMO12HD said:

Washington state, too -- at least on the Eastern side of the state.

Western side, too. I cannot get a rapid antigen test from Walgreens, and heck, I can’t get any test from CVS unless I drive 50 miles. That’s a shame because I used CVS once and liked having results available in the MyChart app.

 

But then again, BinaxNOW stores the results in the Navica app! I feel better about having PCR results due to increased accuracy but the 2-day requirement means antigen testing or really expensive rapid PCR.