eMed / Optum Appointments for Covid Test

[Dlb723]

Good morning,

 

I just ordered 4 tests from the Optum site for our June 12 cruise.  It isn't clear on how the appointments work.  I need to test on Friday June 10th in the late afternoon (after work and school).

-  How late in the day do they allow supervised testing?

-  Do I schedule my appointment in advance or just get in line on the 10th?

-  Anyone else have experience with eMed?

 

Thank you,

Danielle

[styles27]

12 minutes ago, Dlb723 said:

Good morning,

 

I just ordered 4 tests from the Optum site for our June 12 cruise.  It isn't clear on how the appointments work.  I need to test on Friday June 10th in the late afternoon (after work and school).

-  How late in the day do they allow supervised testing?

-  Do I schedule my appointment in advance or just get in line on the 10th?

-  Anyone else have experience with eMed?

 

Thank you,

Danielle

Hi 
We used that test when we cruised last November.
Our cruise left on a Sunday so we needed to test on Friday.
We went on line a little after midnight to take the test (Friday) because we had spent a week in FL before our cruise I wanted enough time to get another test if we had a problem with the proctored test. 
No appt was required. 
 

At that time you could get on to take a test 24 hrs a day. Not sure if they changed that but there should be some info about the hrs of testing on the site. We used the NAVICA app for the proctored test. 

Edited May 16, 2022 by styles27
Spelling

[BirdTravels]

59 minutes ago, Dlb723 said:

Good morning,

 

I just ordered 4 tests from the Optum site for our June 12 cruise.  It isn't clear on how the appointments work.  I need to test on Friday June 10th in the late afternoon (after work and school).

-  How late in the day do they allow supervised testing?

-  Do I schedule my appointment in advance or just get in line on the 10th?

-  Anyone else have experience with eMed?

 

Thank you,

Danielle

Proctors are available 24/7. 
 

We have used eMed for multiple cruises. We have never waited more than 30 seconds to get an initial proctor and then a proctor to read the result. 
 

No appointments. All on-demand. 

[Twocoasts]

I just used eMed to return to the US from a work trip to Europe. No appointment needed. They have proctors available 24 hours a day. The only real hassle was getting the camera angle correct so it could see me and the test...

[Dlb723]

Thanks so much for the feedback!  This part has been stressing me out.  It is our first big cruise and the covid impacts (testing, masks then no masks, cancelled excursions) have been causing me some worry.  I cannot wait to actually get on our cruise.

[phissy]

We have used eMed for our last 3 cruises.

Last test was 2 weeks ago.

No appointment needed, no wait times.

Proctor will walk you through the test.

You will need photo ID ready also.

Do Not Open test before connecting with video tester.

As mentioned, have phone or iPad set up to stay on test for the 15 minutes. We played around with that until we found what would work.

You can get up and leave during the 15 minutes. Test cannot be touched or moved during that time.

Edited May 16, 2022 by phissy

[jemz1949]

How long did it take for you to receive your eMed kits after ordering?  Any airline issues with carrying on the tests? 

[hallux]

2 minutes ago, jemz1949 said:

How long did it take for you to receive your eMed kits after ordering?  Any airline issues with carrying on the tests? 

I ordered March 8, shipped March 9, delivered March 11.  Airlines shouldn't be an issue, and the liquid is WAY less than the 3 oz. allowed through TSA checkpoints in a single container.

[kdmbluerzr]

As others have stated, the tests are easy to use, proctored via the Navica app that you will have to download. Only waited a few minutes for the proctor once we called the number provided via the Navica app. I too, ordered through Optum, the Abbott BinaxNow kits. Used them for a pre travel test at home and then packed a few in my luggage to take with us on our Panama Canal cruise in Feb. No issues at all with the airline or NCL.  Enjoy your cruise!.  

[Heritagesteeler]

I will be taking the test the day of the flight. I have limited time to perform the test as I have a three-hour drive to the airport. Important to have a short wait time to take the test. How soon after test do you get results? Can you use a PC to take test? Might be difficult to follow the instructions on phone. I do have the Navica app. and have an account with emed. Are instructions hardto follow?

[kdmbluerzr]

13 minutes ago, Heritagesteeler said:

I will be taking the test the day of the flight. I have limited time to perform the test as I have a three-hour drive to the airport. Important to have a short wait time to take the test. How soon after test do you get results? Can you use a PC to take test? Might be difficult to follow the instructions on phone. I do have the Navica app. and have an account with emed. Are instructions hardto follow?

You get results in 15 minutes. A proctor will call your cell phone right at 15 min, you need to be available to answer the call. Just do what they tell you to do to read the results on our card. The proctor will then send the results to you via email so you can print. 

[Heritagesteeler]

Thanks for you responds to my questions. Did you use your phone or PC to do the test?  Which would you suggest? Thanks

[G-DawgMN]

3 minutes ago, Heritagesteeler said:

Thanks for you responds to my questions. Did you use your phone or PC to do the test?  Which would you suggest? Thanks

 I would use a phone or tablet. They actually control the camera and will switch between the front and back camera to get shots of you ID/Test, and watch you taking the test. It's very easy to do and they walk you through all the steps.

 

 

[hallux]

42 minutes ago, kdmbluerzr said:

A proctor will call your cell phone right at 15 min

When I did it the page stayed visible on the screen and had the timer.  After the 15 minutes they came back on the ongoing session and confirmed the result then sent me the email and updated my profile in the app with the results.

[kdmbluerzr]

4 hours ago, hallux said:

When I did it the page stayed visible on the screen and had the timer.  After the 15 minutes they came back on the ongoing session and confirmed the result then sent me the email and updated my profile in the app with the results.

Yes, my screen also stayed on with the timer although it was not an ongoing session like yours. So folks need to be flexible to a couple of different scenarios. It all works. 

[Twocoasts]

The only other hassle is that you can only do one test at a time. So allow about an hour because trust me, the first time to set it up and have to figure out the camera angles, it takes a few minutes to get it right. After one test is done, the other person has to log on as themselves (we are creating accounts ahead of time to save time there) and do their test. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

Good info here.  I am planning to use my iPad.   I downloaded the Navica app today for a test run.  My iPad has one of those covers that lets it stand up safely in landscape orientation, but it looks like that app will only run in portrait.  Has anybody found a fix for this?  I tried it on my iPhone and found the same thing.

[hallux]

32 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Navica app

 

33 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

but it looks like that app will only run in portrait.

The app itself runs in portrait, yes.  However, the app opens a browser window (or did on my Android phone), which can then run in landscape.  It's actually a little convoluted - you have the Navica app, which you use to start the process, it then opens the webpage for the proctor process, where you log in with your Navica account.

[Twocoasts]

16 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Good info here.  I am planning to use my iPad.   I downloaded the Navica app today for a test run.  My iPad has one of those covers that lets it stand up safely in landscape orientation, but it looks like that app will only run in portrait.  Has anybody found a fix for this?  I tried it on my iPhone and found the same thing.

It did that for me at first too, but I went back to my home screen and tried again and I got it to landscape. I too have the iPad cover that props itself up---which you need because you need both hands free to do the test.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Twocoasts

[RGEDad]

On 5/16/2022 at 5:01 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

Good info here.  I am planning to use my iPad.   I downloaded the Navica app today for a test run.  My iPad has one of those covers that lets it stand up safely in landscape orientation, but it looks like that app will only run in portrait.  Has anybody found a fix for this?  I tried it on my iPhone and found the same thing.

You need to be able to set the iPad (or iPhone/computer camera) so it can be moved to see the package at start-up, see your hand held ID, see you drop in the fluid into the card, and then up while doing the nose swab - your nose. Then turn down agin so they can watch you insert the swab into the card, and close the card - then leave it on the screen for 15 minutes. Best to have a stand that is movable. My iPad stand also has a cover/keyboard, but is no good for this, I have a movable phone/ipad mount that works great - I have also used my laptop and just tilt the screen down to show the desktop where the card is.

If the card leaves the visibility of the monitor (ie falls off the table) the test will be terminated with no results provided - so move slow and careful. 

There are plenty of videos on YouTube how to do the test - watch a couple and you will see how they work. 

Language/accents can sometimes be an issue -just ask them to slow down/repeat - 

 

It really is quite easy.

[Traveling Library]

Can you carry the tests in carry on luggage or do they need to be in checked luggage.  I know that the liquid is less than 3oz but technically all liquids need to be in the quart sized clear plastic bag. We cannot open the tests to remove just the liquid.  I'm concerned about putting them in our checked luggage which is going overseas. Any experiences? Thank you,

[BirdTravels]

We have a little tripod stand and set up the phone on the kitchen table. The proctor will switch the phone from the forward facing camera to the back facing camera, so you just need to be able to get to the back side of the phone to scan the QR code and let them read the expiration date and negative test results. We have done this for 4 cruises now. 

[phissy]

3 hours ago, Traveling Library said:

Can you carry the tests in carry on luggage or do they need to be in checked luggage.  I know that the liquid is less than 3oz but technically all liquids need to be in the quart sized clear plastic bag. We cannot open the tests to remove just the liquid.  I'm concerned about putting them in our checked luggage which is going overseas. Any experiences? Thank you,

It is fine for carry on or checked. If you are concerned about luggage getting misplaced, put tests in carry on. You do not need to worry about amount of liquid. Do not remove from test or open box.

Total amount of liquids is 3 oz for carry on, I no longer separate them for US travel.

In Europe, LHR does require removal of liquids ( they give you a bag) for security screening. Includes toothpaste, lotion etc.

[Sailing12Away]

Just used our eMed kits while in London the day before flying home to the states. I had my laptop, so it was just a matter of adjusting the angle of the screen so the camera faced what they asked to see.

 

Connected to a proctor within a minute (they ask you to confirm where you are physically located while taking the test, so it doesn't matter the time of day nor do you have to pick a time ahead of time - just log in when you're ready), they have you show your photo ID to prove it's you, confirm the expiration date on the kit, then ask you to open it all up and show them what's inside. You show them the QR code on the test device itself, then point the camera to the desk where you're setting the test up on. For the nose swab, point the camera back to your face, then point it back down again for the test. We left it pointing at the desk for the 15 minutes, then you click the button when the timer is up to say "I'm ready".

 

Again, connected within 30 seconds to a person where you show them the card and tell them your results ("Only 1 line for the control is present, no other lines visible"). After finishing my test, we started over for hubby's, both of us were done in about 40 minutes total while sitting in our hotel the night before our flight. Results were in my email within a few minutes, and I was able to upload the PDF directly to the Delta/Virgin site for our Fly Ready check-in which made our time at Heathrow a whopping 3 minutes which is a new record I think. And it would have been even faster except the desk agent working with us was new.

[RGEDad]

21 hours ago, Traveling Library said:

I'm concerned about putting them in our checked luggage which is going overseas. A

The tests have fairly rigid environmental limits. Temperatures in aircraft holds are not typically controlled unless live animals are being shipped. In addition, baggie handling areas/tarmac can get very hot. It is recommended that you keep the tests in your carry-on luggage. 

I have had no issue with TSA on having these tests in my luggage.