Rapid ID Now - Walgreens. Did you swab your own nose?

[Dawg74]

For those that have done this, did you do your own nasal swab? I booked the test at Walgreens but we are elsewhere in Florida and it indicates that you perform your own nasal swab as directed by the pharmacist. I don’t want us to screw it up . Have the rest of you done this or does the pharmacist do it at some locations? When we had our test at shoppers drug mart to come to Florida the pharmacist did the nasal swab.

 

[alohamom]

Yes, we did this at a Walgreens drive thru in Connecticut.
The lab assisstant directed us exactly how to do it (VERY easy, 5 full circles within each of your lower nasal areas) and she watched to make sure we were doing it correctly.
They are behind a window and there is a push out slot that they use to give you the sealed swabs and that you return the swab samples back to them with.
I must admit, it was kind of surreal but it is also felt like a fairly safe method of testing without contact.

 

[Dawg74]

Yes, we did this at a Walgreens drive thru in Connecticut.
The lab assisstant directed us exactly how to do it (VERY easy, 5 full circles within each of your lower nasal areas) and she watched to make sure we were doing it correctly.
They are behind a window and there is a push out slot that they use to give you the sealed swabs and that you return the swab samples back to them with.
I must admit, it was kind of surreal but it is also felt like a fairly safe method of testing without contact.

Thank you for responding . This is the one part of the trip we have been a little stressed about.

 

[karatstravels]

We did too, just came home early Sept. Was easy, even our 7 year old had no issues. Had our test results before we even back at our resort.

 

[MegEliz]

We did the same at CVS in Anaheim a few days ago. I also had to do our 8 and 10 year old. The pharmacist watched and directed us. It was very easy

 

[CanucksRock]

I'll be doing this Thursday I just booked my appointment. In the afternoon during a break from the parks (we have a car, staying off site)

 

[dancin Disney style]

As someone who has had at least 50 PCR tests in the last 18 months (we have to take them at work) I can’t understand how it’s even possible to self administer one. If you go the wrong way you can puncture the sinus.

The lower nostril test is an antigen test which could easily be self administered but that test is not the required test for re entry to Canada.

 

[MegEliz]

As someone who has had at least 50 PCR tests in the last 18 months (we have to take them at work) I can’t understand how it’s even possible to self administer one. If you go the wrong way you can puncture the sinus.

The lower nostril test is an antigen test which could easily be self administered but that test is not the required test for re entry to Canada.

It’s a lower nostril swab. They ask you to put the swab part all the way in and swirl it around. It’s similar to the antigen test

 

[damo]

As someone who has had at least 50 PCR tests in the last 18 months (we have to take them at work) I can’t understand how it’s even possible to self administer one. If you go the wrong way you can puncture the sinus.

The lower nostril test is an antigen test which could easily be self administered but that test is not the required test for re entry to Canada.

The free test they give at Walgreens that you self administer is the Abbott ID Now NAAT molecular test which is a rapid test that only requires a lower nostril swab. It is one of the tests approved for travellers returning to Canada.

 

[karatstravels]

As someone who has had at least 50 PCR tests in the last 18 months (we have to take them at work) I can’t understand how it’s even possible to self administer one. If you go the wrong way you can puncture the sinus.

The lower nostril test is an antigen test which could easily be self administered but that test is not the required test for re entry to Canada.

Nope it is a PCR test and valid for entry back into Canada. You don’t go all the way up (similar to the Antigen test) and go around each nostril 5 times. I believe it is the ID Now test. They have 2 rapid tests; an Antigen one that you DON’T want (Binax Now) and a rapid PCR test (ID Now). Process is similar for both howeve, but not all Pharmacies offer the Rapid PCR because it requires a special machine to get the results and doesn’t have to go to a lab.

 

[Dawg74]

Hi everyone, I started this post and wanted to report back. We went to the Walgreens drive through, it took a few minutes for them to create a file for each of us and then we swabbed our own noses, just the lower portion, both nostrils. We had the test results about an hour later and used these for entry back into Canada. It was the ID Now test as many have mentioned. I was worried about it but it turned out fine. I appreciate everyone responding. Have a great day and safe travels!

 

[JETSDAD]

Nope it is a PCR test and valid for entry back into Canada. You don’t go all the way up (similar to the Antigen test) and go around each nostril 5 times. I believe it is the ID Now test. They have 2 rapid tests; an Antigen one that you DON’T want (Binax Now) and a rapid PCR test (ID Now). Process is similar for both howeve, but not all Pharmacies offer the Rapid PCR because it requires a special machine to get the results and doesn’t have to go to a lab.

ID Now is a NAAT test which does work for entry to Canada but isn't PCR.

 

[CanucksRock]

I just did the Walgreens ID Now Test…had my results in 45 minutes! Fly home Sunday.

 

[tlcdoula]

@CanucksRock Where did you test Orlando or Anaheim?

 

[Chip#1]

Since there’s a good number of threads going for Walgreens I’ll place this info here and hopefully everyone sees it. I’ve been tracking Walgreens bookings the last few months. July 4th, Sept 6th and now Oct 11th have come up as zero appointments (yes I just checked Oct 11th while doing the Boo Bash AH) — I believe Walgreens does NOT do testing on US holidays. For those of you with trips planned this coming Dec/Jan pls keep this in mind — whether you plan to use them outright or as a back up to beepermd (hard to say where Christmas/NY’s Eve would fall as well?)

 

[damo]

I was fiddling around with the Walgreen's site last night in preparation and have a question. If you are making an appointment for more than one person, do you just choose one time slot? There are going to be 5 of us getting tested and I don't think I can get 5 appointments filled out quickly enough to get them all in a row. Is there a place to say how many people will be getting tested?

 

[JETSDAD]

I was fiddling around with the Walgreen's site last night in preparation and have a question. If you are making an appointment for more than one person, do you just choose one time slot? There are going to be 5 of us getting tested and I don't think I can get 5 appointments filled out quickly enough to get them all in a row. Is there a place to say how many people will be getting tested?

You have to fill each one out separately because they will need to do paperwork for each person/name and have the pre-check for each done (not having symptoms, don't have insurance, etc). That being said, the times don't really matter and they did all of ours at once even though there would have been a couple of hours in between our appointment times.

 

[TommyJK]

Not sure if this is the best testing thread to ask this question as there a bunch of them, but here goes.

I booked a Walgreens test (in Chicago, not Florida) and in my booking confirmation email it said the following (not sure if it says this in everyone's email):

• Show your confirmation email, a valid state ID or driver's license, and insurance card or voucher.

So I have none of those things. I'll have our passports for ID, but we obiviously don't have any IL state ID's of any kind, nor Insurance card/voucher.

Is this just their boilerplate stuff they put in every email and they just go ahead and test you? Or is this perhaps some unique verbiage I got as I'm testing in IL (and not FL like most of you have done) and I should be worried?

 

[JETSDAD]

Not sure if this is the best testing thread to ask this question as there a bunch of them, but here goes.

I booked a Walgreens test (in Chicago, not Florida) and in my booking confirmation email it said the following (not sure if it says this in everyone's email):

• Show your confirmation email, a valid state ID or driver's license, and insurance card or voucher.

So I have none of those things. I'll have our passports for ID, but we obiviously don't have any IL state ID's of any kind, nor Insurance card/voucher.

Is this just their boilerplate stuff they put in every email and they just go ahead and test you? Or is this perhaps some unique verbiage I got as I'm testing in IL (and not FL like most of you have done) and I should be worried?

Here's what our email said but we didn't have to show ID...we brought our Passports just in case but weren't asked for any sort of ID.

Please bring the following to your appointment:

• This confirmation email
• State ID/valid driver's license or other government-issued ID
• Your medical and pharmacy benefit insurance card

 

[TommyJK]

Here's what our email said but we didn't have to show ID...we brought our Passports just in case but weren't asked for any sort of ID.

Please bring the following to your appointment:

• This confirmation email
• State ID/valid driver's license or other government-issued ID
• Your medical and pharmacy benefit insurance card

Thanks. Ya I had all of those bits in my email so it got me a little worried. My trip is a short weekend getaway (arrive early morning Saturday, have our tests scheduled for noon, we fly back Monday). So if I get turned away I have a few backup places (that are $$$$$ to get one done quickly).