So You Think You Have COVID, Now What?

Photo by Mat Napo on Unsplash

We all hoped COVID would be over by this time. . . nope, not even close. So what do you do if you think you have COVID? 

COVID testing at Walgreens, CVS, and other pharmacies are booked out for weeks, doctors' offices are jammed, some locations don't accept children, and some testing sites require a doctor's order. So what do you do?

Here are some handy tips to help you find testing in your area:

Free Testing 

US Dept. of Health & Human Services is a smart place to start with links to community-based, free COVID testing locations in all US states and territories. Each listing also includes links to local health departments. (See below)

Your Local Health Department, like the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), lists COVID testing and vaccine resources throughout the state. 

Self-Pay Testing

Solv is a nationwide online COVID testing scheduler for self-pay locations. Enter your zip code, view a list of available testing sites in your area, and schedule your appointment directly from the site. Some sites accept insurance, others are self-pay only. Read the listings carefully to make sure you know the type of site you are scheduling. 

I noticed many of the clinics are not "free" as they list. They either accept insurance or are self-pay. I guess the "free" tag applies to accepted insurance? The listings are not very transparent with pricing either. Several locations direct you to contact their clinic for pricing. I did find two clinics that did list pricing, they both charged over $100 per test.  With that in mind, I strongly recommend contacting your insurance PRIOR to your appointment to ensure they are in-network and what your costs will be.  

Know Before You Go

• Check the website before visiting for hours, identification requirements, insurance acceptance, and cost. 
• Have your photo ID and insurance information (if you have insurance) handy, as they may be required for testing. 
• Check if appointments are offered, or if they are walk-in services only.  

The free clinic I visited required preregistration before testing. I scanned a QR code that was posted on the front door, entered my personal information in their app, and they emailed me a registration code that I presented prior to testing. The best advice is to be patient and plan on a potentially extensive wait time for the free clinics. 

Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list of COVID testing sites. They are resources I found in my struggle to find testing in my area. If you have additional testing resources please share them in the comments section. 

So don't fret there are other options out there. I hope this article makes finding testing near you a little bit easier.  

Stay healthy and safe my friends!