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City Starts Opening Free Rapid-Test Clinics, With Covid Results in 24 Hours or Less

August 18, 2020 | 4:18 PM - Updated on June 5, 2022 | 11:17 PM
in NEWS, POLITICS
20


Photo via CDC.

Coronavirus testing has been a mess with Upper West Siders telling us they’ve sometimes had to wait as long as two weeks to get results — making those results all but worthless.

But now the city Department of Health is opening clinics with faster response times. You need to make an appointment, and so far there are only three locations. But Councilmember Mark Levine says that they’ll soon be adding six more. Find out more and make an appointment here.

NEW – NYC Dept of Health is now offering free covid tests at limited locations with results in * 24 hours or less *

Available so far at 3 clinics, 6 more on the way.

By appointment only: https://t.co/kc7zUH8PJa pic.twitter.com/lqo2EBvcUf

— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) August 18, 2020

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Someguy
Someguy
4 years ago

Its a lie that two weeks you need to wait. I went to CityMD last week and they only asked for an ID,phone number and less than 48hrs i knew my result. And this was the CityMD of 88st. I know people that went on June and July at the same place and results returned less than 72hrs. They call you if your positive. But you can dial their aftercare number with the number that you gave when you did the test. Just by dialing the number you are prompted if you want to know your results.

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UWStoBK
UWStoBK
4 years ago
Reply to  Someguy

It took two weeks to get my results. It differs for different people @someguy.

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Reply
Minx
Minx
4 years ago
Reply to  Someguy

Many people have had to wait days to weeks for test results, but because you haven’t it is a lie?

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Reply
Barbara Litt
Barbara Litt
4 years ago
Reply to  Someguy

NOT a lie! Took my daughter 14 days to get results!! From CitiMD. I’m guessing things are picking up because the second test–taken elsewhere–was a ONE day wait for her!

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Reply
rteplow
rteplow
4 years ago
Reply to  Someguy

I know this is all anecdotal, but I went to the same CityMD the end of July. My blood test came back 24 hours later but the swab test took 12 days.

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Reply
UpperWest
UpperWest
4 years ago

Will these use the new, cheaper, faster-to-process saliva tests? If so, that’s very significant.

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Reply
Sid
Sid
4 years ago

I never got my results from CityMD (tested June 28!)

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Reply
Noemie
Noemie
4 years ago

Signed up tomorrow in Chelsea! This rep is Twitter gold!

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Reply
Xan
Xan
4 years ago

No open appointments. No surprise.

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Reply
Paul on W 67
Paul on W 67
4 years ago

I have been tested twice, both at City MD on Broadway and 69th. In May the test results (nose swab and antibody blood) came back in 7 days. This past week, I was tested on August 13 (nose swab only) and the results came back 3 days later on August 16.

Also, in May the line stretched down the block and the while thing took over an hour. Last week I was in and out in about 20 minutes.

Your mileage may vary

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Reply
lynn
lynn
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul on W 67

I’d normally go to Northwell but they’ve made the process ridiculously complicated. Is City MD walk in or appointment only?

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Reply
Sammy
Sammy
4 years ago

Always try and go to a place that uses a lab run by the state. They are a lot faster. City MD uses the national labs that can get very backed up at times it’s kind of a crap shoot with them…But, places that use state labs are generally faster.

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Reply
UWSfan
UWSfan
4 years ago
Reply to  Sammy

Any advice on how to find a place that uses a state run lab? TIA

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Reply
nycityny
nycityny
4 years ago
Reply to  Sammy

Would you mind sharing who on the UWS uses local labs?

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Reply
Tiana2017
Tiana2017
4 years ago
Reply to  nycityny

Northwell urgent care seemed to use Northshore LIJ labs. Results took exactly 3 days a few weeks ago

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Reply
CRAIG
CRAIG
4 years ago

took the nose swab 7/21 at 88st MD,they cant find/lost my records, so much for that. NO MORE!!

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Reply
Kate
Kate
4 years ago

Basically we have a limited testing capacity. When there is a flare-up, even in another region, and testing demand increases, we hit the testing capacity limit and we get a backlog. That’s why it was taking 2 weeks to get a test at the end of July.

When the backlog goes down, or testing capacity increases (which it did at the end of July due to the FDA providing provisional authority to pool tests for low-risk individuals) then the turn-around-time for testing improves dramatically. Right now, no matter where you test, you should be able to get results in 72 hours.

Although, to be fair, the Antigen tests, which have results in 20 minutes and can be done in any lab with any reagent is likely to be a game changer. They have been provisionally approved by the FDA and should be up and running within a month or so.

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Chelsea
Chelsea
4 years ago

I got tested in Chelsea yesterday at 9:30 am and got my results back online at 1:30 pm. It’s a nose swab (very uncomfortable!), but was very pleased with the efficiency of the operation.

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Barbara Idzerda
Barbara Idzerda
4 years ago

No appointments available:(

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Reply
Trish
Trish
4 years ago

Got tested at 8 this morning at the new quick-turnaround site on 168th. I had the result by 2 pm! I previously got a test at MedRite in Inwood on 7/20 from which I still have no results (in fairness, the blame should apparently fall on Quest Diagnostics, where they sent the sample).

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Reply

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