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If you’re in a location without many COVID-19 testing sites, you may want to head to your neighborhood drugstore.
You’ll notice several major chains on the list of where to get a COVID-19 test, including CVS, Walgreens, and R
Ride Aid specifically offers tests at no cost to anyone four and older. Passport Health also has a network of clinics in over 100 locations nationwide, primarily for people who need a negative PCR test to fly or return to school. Increasingly, these nationwide providers are serving younger patients. Currently, CVS serves patients 10 and up, while Walgreens serves patients as young as 3.
Even better, you can make these appointments online, which may save precious time instead of waiting in a long line. Many of these locations also offer drive-up testing, where you swab yourself and don’t need to leave your vehicle.
Turnaround times can vary by chain and location:
Also, several third-party companies partner with major cities like Houston and San Francisco on widespread testing. These companies, like Color and Curative, offer results between one to three days.
There are many mail-in or in-home COVID-19 testing providers available. Some are not valid in certain states, and some are not available in all situations.
Most will not bill insurance for you, with Pixel being an exception to that general rule. Some mail-in tests are nasal swabs, while others are saliva samples. Some are only valid for adults, and others require a Zoom appointment. But, these are all the gold-standard PCR tests that are considered highly reliable.
Some mail-in COVID-19 testing programs include:
While there are exceptions, one to three days for COVID-19 test results seem to be standard across the country.
You may need to research PCR testing locations that promise same-day results or provide rapid PCR tests analyzed on-site if the arrival of your test results could make or break your trip. Several facilities on the list below reported delays in test results due to an increase in demand.