Walgreens Covid Tests Naat Test

[mbddisney]

Just checked the walgreens site to see about testing and I now see the Rapid Naat test instead of the ID Now test.  Does any one know if this acceptable?

[Torfamm]

1 hour ago, mbddisney said:

Just checked the walgreens site to see about testing and I now see the Rapid Naat test instead of the ID Now test.  Does any one know if this acceptable?

The Celebrity website says yes https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/faqs

[JamieLogical]

ID Now *is* a NAAT test.... Anyway, I have taken several pre-cruise tests at Walgreens and Celebrity has always accepted the results. I have an appointment on Thursday for another test before my next sailing on Saturday.

[mbddisney]

I called the Walgreens they indicated it is the ID Now test, I am thinking it is a antigen test not a PCR as it states Rapid NAAT test.  Either way it is acceptable that is the best thing

[JamieLogical]

Just now, mbddisney said:

I called the Walgreens they indicated it is the ID Now test, I am thinking it is a antigen test not a PCR as it states Rapid NAAT test.  Either way it is acceptable that is the best thing

 

Right, ID Now is a rapid NAAT test, not an antigen test. But they are both accepted by Celebrity. Glad your fears have been alleviated!

[jagoffee]

7 hours ago, mbddisney said:

I called the Walgreens they indicated it is the ID Now test, I am thinking it is a antigen test not a PCR as it states Rapid NAAT test.  Either way it is acceptable that is the best thing

Even better, it has not changed at all.  It is the same as it has always been for Walgreens.  It is just not available in all states. Readily available in IL.  

[kearney]

18 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Right, ID Now is a rapid NAAT test, not an antigen test. But they are both accepted by Celebrity. Glad your fears have been alleviated!

The rapid tests results are available within an hour.. how long do you have to wait for NAAT results? I ask because we take two days to drive to Floridia...so in the past I get the CVS rapid test as we start our drive and before we are even out of town..I have gotten a text with the results.  Now if the NAAT is that fast I would rather go to my closer Walgreens... but I don't want to wait until I am in Florida to find out if I can cruise.... thanks in advance

[JamieLogical]

6 minutes ago, kearney said:

The rapid tests results are available within an hour.. how long do you have to wait for NAAT results? I ask because we take two days to drive to Floridia...so in the past I get the CVS rapid test as we start our drive and before we are even out of town..I have gotten a text with the results.  Now if the NAAT is that fast I would rather go to my closer Walgreens... but I don't want to wait until I am in Florida to find out if I can cruise.... thanks in advance

 

I usually have my results in 30-60 minutes when doing the ID Now test at Walgreens. It is not a PCR test that requires samples to be sent to a lab. It uses a machine that the pharmacies have onsite.

[kearney]

4 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I usually have my results in 30-60 minutes when doing the ID Now test at Walgreens. It is not a PCR test that requires samples to be sent to a lab. It uses a machine that the pharmacies have onsite.

Thanks that is good to know... I was noticing that they didn't to the rapid tests...so I just assumed they were still doing the PCR lab tests... This adds an option

[zook50]

I have shared this earlier on the forum, but it bears repeating.  Regarding Walgreen's Rapid ID Now tests, be aware and plan accordingly.  My husband and I both got these tests at the exact same time at a drive-up window at Walgreen's in the US.  The supervisor said at the time while there was a 24 hour turnaround time, most results come back in an hour or two (or less).  I received my negative results within half an hour (three others in our party got theirs within an hour or two).   My husband received his 20 hours later, but only after many phone calls to the pharmacy, labs, etc.  We were driving back to the Canadian border and so had the option to wait, rebook tests, etc.  If we had been flying, we would have been out of luck.  When we finally spoke to the supervisor, she told us half the tests done that day "just didn't get processed" before everyone left for the evening and reminded us sternly that they have 24 hours to process.  The results appeared seconds later.  I can only hope that the others weren't trying to get on a flight.

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, zook50 said:

I have shared this earlier on the forum, but it bears repeating.  Regarding Walgreen's Rapid ID Now tests, be aware and plan accordingly.  My husband and I both got these tests at the exact same time at a drive-up window at Walgreen's in the US.  The supervisor said at the time while there was a 24 hour turnaround time, most results come back in an hour or two (or less).  I received my negative results within half an hour (three others in our party got theirs within an hour or two).   My husband received his 20 hours later, but only after many phone calls to the pharmacy, labs, etc.  We were driving back to the Canadian border and so had the option to wait, rebook tests, etc.  If we had been flying, we would have been out of luck.  When we finally spoke to the supervisor, she told us half the tests done that day "just didn't get processed" before everyone left for the evening and reminded us sternly that they have 24 hours to process.  The results appeared seconds later.  I can only hope that the others weren't trying to get on a flight.

 

That sounds like an issue with that specific Walgreens location. I am sure there can be backlogs and human errors at testing sites all over the world. That is the risk all of us are taking by only scheduling one test and why many people chose to schedule extra tests or have other backup options in case results don't arrive in a timely fashion.

 

Back in September for our sailing on the NCL Breakaway to Bermuda, we were required to get a PCR test prior to sailing. We went to CVS, which we had used multiple times for testing in the past. They claimed results in 48 hours. Myself, my parents, and my husband all got tested at different CVS locations at the same time. My mom's results came back in under 24 hours. My husband's results took 58 hours. We had to pay $195 to get him a rapid PCR test at a local clinic.

 

For that same cruise, we also all had to be antigen tested at the pier. We all took our tests within minutes of each other. While the rest of us all received our results in around 30 minutes, it took over two hours for my mom to get hers, so none of us could check-in and board until her results came back.

 

My point is, people probably have similar testing stories from clinics, pharmacies, and testing sites all over. There will always be lost samples and human error.

 

Edited March 15, 2022 by JamieLogical

[Arizona Wildcat]

8 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

That sounds like an issue with that specific Walgreens location. I am sure there can be backlogs and human errors at testing sites all over the world. That is the risk all of us are taking by only scheduling one test and why many people chose to schedule extra tests or have other backup options in case results don't arrive in a timely fashion.

 

Back in September for our sailing on the NCL Breakaway to Bermuda, we were required to get a PCR test prior to sailing. We went to CVS, which we had used multiple times for testing in the past. They claimed results in 48 hours. Myself, my parents, and my husband all got tested at different CVS locations at the same time. My mom's results came back in under 24 hours. My husband's results took 58 hours. We had to pay $195 to get him a rapid PCR test at a local clinic.

 

For that same cruise, we also all had to be antigen tested at the pier. We all took our tests within minutes of each other. While the rest of us all received our results in around 30 minutes, it took over two hours for my mom to get hers, so none of us could check-in and board until her results came back.

 

My point is, people probably have similar testing stories from clinics, pharmacies, and testing sites all over. There will always be lost samples and human error.

 

2 important facts.

 

Not every Walgreens offers Covid testing.

 

Walgreens guarantees a 24 hour turn around.  One of our local stores had an employee call in sick.  Thus they did the scheduled vaccinations and testing, but did not have enough qualified people to process all the tests.

 

Plan accordingly. 

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

2 important facts.

 

Not every Walgreens offers Covid testing.

 

Walgreens guarantees a 24 hour turn around.  One of our local stores had an employee call in sick.  Thus they did the scheduled vaccinations and testing, but did not have enough qualified people to process all the tests.

 

Plan accordingly. 

 

Exactly. Whenever humans are involved, there is opportunity for slow-downs and problems. This is not unique to Walgreens. Also, while it's true that not every Walgreens offers COVID testing, I am not sure that is super relevant to my post or this thread generally. This thread is about whether the ID Now NAAT tests that are offered at specific Walgreens locations are accepted by Celebrity. The answer to that question is "yes" and one can generally expect their results in a relatively quick timeframe. Obviously, no one on these forums can guarantee that Walgreens or any other testing site in the world won't have staffing issues or human errors.

[zook50]

I absolutely agree with everything being said.   We planned carefully, based on our planned border arrival date and time.  We also booked backup tests, just in case.  We were also fully aware of the 24 hour turnaround time, and, again, planned accordingly.  The title of the thread involved Walgreen's NAAT tests, so I simply shared my experience to help others who are planning. I am still reading about people who are surprised by border expectations, delays, etc., so I feel this is important to share, especially for people who are flying.

[zook50]

Sorry if you felt I "hijacked" your thread.  That wasn't my intention.  I also am a Celebrity cruiser with several future Celebrity cruises planned, so hope my past testing experiences (and others') will help.

[JamieLogical]

26 minutes ago, zook50 said:

Sorry if you felt I "hijacked" your thread.  That wasn't my intention.  I also am a Celebrity cruiser with several future Celebrity cruises planned, so hope my past testing experiences (and others') will help.

 

I don't think you hijacked the thread. I just want to make it clear that Walgreens is no less (or more) reliable than any other testing site in these crazy times. While you had a negative experience with one Walgreens location, I have had a negative experience with one CVS location, and I am sure many here have had negative experiences with one, the other, or some completely different testing site. Anyone who is on a tight timeline for testing should be prepared with alternative plans wherever possible and not just have blind faith that their test will be conducted in a timely and accurate fashion. No matter where they are having it done. Even the proctored home test kits have the potential for human error, dropped internet connection, etc. Always good to have a backup plan!

[Torfamm]

7 hours ago, kearney said:

The rapid tests results are available within an hour.. how long do you have to wait for NAAT results? I ask because we take two days to drive to Floridia...so in the past I get the CVS rapid test as we start our drive and before we are even out of town..I have gotten a text with the results.  Now if the NAAT is that fast I would rather go to my closer Walgreens... but I don't want to wait until I am in Florida to find out if I can cruise.... thanks in advance

We have had it take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours 

[kearney]

5 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

We have had it take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours 

Actually that would work..but it turns out our local Walgreens doesn't use NAAT test..just PCR.. there are other locations around that do..but I may just stick with CVS since that worked well before.... I hope that my my cruise they at least loosen the requirement back to 3 days... that would be much better for traveling passengers and frankly I can't see it being that much better to do it 2 days vs 3

[cangelmd]

On 3/14/2022 at 2:39 PM, mbddisney said:

I called the Walgreens they indicated it is the ID Now test, I am thinking it is a antigen test not a PCR as it states Rapid NAAT test.  Either way it is acceptable that is the best thing

Abbott markets 2 different tests, one is a NAAT and the other is a rapid antigen test. They bought out the Binax corporations test which was a rapid antigen test and began rebranding it as IDNow which was their umbrella term for (relatively) rapid infectious disease testing. They also had launched the IDNow NAAT testing platform with enough organisms available to make it worth the labs time. Then Covid hit.

All of a sudden, the tests weren’t just being marketed to the providers who took responsibility for providing the appropriate test to the clinical situation, now the patients were concerned about which test is which. Abbott has not moved to clarify the names or complete the rebranding.

Frankly all our different suppliers have turned almost all their energy to churning out Covid tests.

 

If you go the route of CVS or Walgreens, just be sure to clarify everything upfront, that’s the best you can do. Occasionally , something is going to fall through the cracks, or a swab can be unsatisfactory (or even fall on the floor, oops), or someone call in sick (a huge problem during Omicron). This is all why I really really hope that the testing will go by the way sooner rather than later, or that cruiselines can come up with a rapid backup plan for people who try in good faith to get tested and fail for some reason. They may be quietly doing this pier side, but not advertising the fact because everyone would want that option.

[cangelmd]

27 minutes ago, kearney said:

Actually that would work..but it turns out our local Walgreens doesn't use NAAT test..just PCR.. there are other locations around that do..but I may just stick with CVS since that worked well before.... I hope that my my cruise they at least loosen the requirement back to 3 days... that would be much better for traveling passengers and frankly I can't see it being that much better to do it 2 days vs 3

I checked our CVS and Walgreens too, and only a couple had IDNow and their PCR TAT was too long for the purpose.

[JamieLogical]

18 minutes ago, cangelmd said:

Abbott markets 2 different tests, one is a NAAT and the other is a rapid antigen test. They bought out the Binax corporations test which was a rapid antigen test and began rebranding it as IDNow which was their umbrella term for (relatively) rapid infectious disease testing. They also had launched the IDNow NAAT testing platform with enough organisms available to make it worth the labs time. Then Covid hit.

All of a sudden, the tests weren’t just being marketed to the providers who took responsibility for providing the appropriate test to the clinical situation, now the patients were concerned about which test is which. Abbott has not moved to clarify the names or complete the rebranding.

Frankly all our different suppliers have turned almost all their energy to churning out Covid tests.

 

If you go the route of CVS or Walgreens, just be sure to clarify everything upfront, that’s the best you can do. Occasionally , something is going to fall through the cracks, or a swab can be unsatisfactory (or even fall on the floor, oops), or someone call in sick (a huge problem during Omicron). This is all why I really really hope that the testing will go by the way sooner rather than later, or that cruiselines can come up with a rapid backup plan for people who try in good faith to get tested and fail for some reason. They may be quietly doing this pier side, but not advertising the fact because everyone would want that option.

 

I have not heard the Abbott Binax Now test refered to as ID Now. I have always heard the two different names to distinguish between the two. The Binax Now tests that I have purchased for home use definitely say "Binax Now" on the packaging and make no mention of ID Now.

Versus