When and where to get a COVID test: At a testing center? Yes. The ER? No.
In addition to wearing masks and getting vaccinated, being tested for COVID is a smart way to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus.
But record high COVID-19 cases have translated to record high demand for testing in the Triangle and across the nation, and it’s straining the system.
▪ Wake County Public Health has increased staff, signage and the number of appointments, which are required at the county’s five sites. Wait times for appointments and results may be affected.
▪ Orange County has also seen increased demand at testing sites with state-approved vendors, and those vendors are also dealing with staffing shortages due to employees calling out sick because of COVID.
▪ The NC Department of Health and Human Services also acknowledged a “record surge in testing demand recently that has strained the already tight testing supply nationally and across the state.” The state is also experiencing staffing shortages because of illness.
▪ Two Triangle hospital systems, UNC and WakeMed, said last week they are no longer giving coronavirus tests to patients who have no symptoms of COVID-19. Duke Health is still offering coronavirus testing to patients with a Duke MyChart account regardless of symptoms. But to stretch its testing capacity, Duke is no longer testing its own employees who are not sick.
▪ UNC, WakeMed and Duke have asked people not to go to emergency rooms for COVID testing.
Here’s more on what to know about when and where to get a COVID test, and what to do when you get your results.
When should you get a COVID test?
In addition to testing when you have symptoms, experts say testing immediately before gatherings is one way to avoid spreading the virus to others, as tests detect the presence of the virus at that exact moment, helping you determine when it’s safe or not safe to be in the presence of others — especially those vulnerable to getting really sick.
But getting tested “at random” and when you’re not experiencing symptoms or not about to attend an indoor gathering isn’t always helpful, said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease expert with UNC Health.
- “The best use of a test is when you have COVID-19 symptoms, especially if you’re at risk for progressing to more than mild COVID-19 and therefore might be a candidate for treatment,” Wohl said.
- Tests can also be useful immediately before certain situations, Wohl said, like a family gathering indoors where you want to lower the odds that anyone is infectious at that moment.
- Use The N&O’s guide to finding and getting a COVID test in the Triangle: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article256887987.html.
Also, a negative test isn’t a free pass.
Testing at random when you have no symptoms can be harmful, Wohl said, if the negative test leads the person to engage in risky activities over the next few days.
“A negative test tells you only that during the few seconds the swab was in your nose there was either no virus or not enough virus there to turn the test positive,” Wohl said.
If you (or someone you live with) tests positive for COVID, follow CDC guidelines for isolation and quarantine.
Should I go to the ER for a COVID test?
Do not try to get tested at a local hospital emergency department.
The high demand for testing has prompted the Triangle’s three hospital systems — Duke, UNC and WakeMed — to ask people not to come to crowded emergency departments just to get a coronavirus test or to be seen for mild symptoms of COVID-19.
Someone without symptoms who thinks they’ve been exposed to the virus or needs a negative test for work or school or to travel will be told to go elsewhere.
Where to go for routine testing: Instead, go to testing centers organized by state or local public health departments, or seek testing at participating pharmacies or urgent care centers (see below).
But be aware that UNC and WakeMed are not testing people who aren’t sick.
“We are not doing any asymptomatic exposed COVID testing in our WakeMed Urgent Care or WakeMed MyCare 365 locations,” spokeswoman Kristin Kelly wrote in an email. “We are extremely grateful to Wake County for making so many additional testing options available to the community.”
UNC and WakeMed say they’re having trouble keeping up with demand for testing and want to reserve their hospitals and clinics for people who are sick.
“Testing demand is surging, and we are limited in our capacity, staffing and resources,” UNC spokesman Alan Wolf wrote in an email. “So we are prioritizing testing for patients experiencing COVID symptoms. We are urging anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19 but is not experiencing symptoms to follow CDC guidelines for quarantine.”
Using the tools we have
- Vaccines and treatments: “We have safe and effective vaccines that reduce the risk of infection and dramatically cut the odds of getting very ill with COVID-19. We have home tests and even treatments that can help people at risk avoid hospitalization,” Wohl said.
- Masks: Many understand the importance of masks and use them smartly, Wohl said, which is a major way to avoid getting infected and infecting others with the omicron variant.
Omicron variant isn’t mild for everyone
Catching omicron isn’t a big deal to many, but it is to some, Wohl said.
“For the vast majority of us, catching this variant means some mild symptoms and a few days home — especially if vaccinated and boosted. But there remain many people who are still vulnerable to becoming very ill, and these folks are stretching our healthcare systems to the breaking point,” Wohl said.
Wohl recommends doing all you can to avoid getting infected and spreading the virus to others: “It is the right thing to do for you, your family, and all those around you,” he said.
How to get a COVID test in Wake County
These sites are open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All locations and directions can be found at wakegov.com/testing:
Wake County Southern Regional Center — 130 N. Judd Parkway NE in Fuquay-Varina
Wake County Northern Regional Center — 350 E. Holding Ave. in Wake Forest
Wake County Eastern Regional Center — 1002 Dogwood Drive in Zebulon
Vision Church RDU Parking Lot — 5808 Departure Drive in Raleigh
Wake County Health & Human Services Center Parking Lot — 2845 Kidd Road in Raleigh
Wake Toxicology is another option, and drive-thru testing is available weekdays and weekends throughout Wake County and one in Durham.
PCR tests are offered with results back in 10 to 36 hours.
Pre-registration is required here: waketoxicology.com
For more info, call 919-399-1215 or 984-810-3479.
Wake Toxicology also offers rapid-testing — call or go online for more information.
And these five drive-thru sites, sponsored by United Providers of Health, offer PCR tests. Results available within 24 to 48 hours (via email). Register for a time slot at any of them by calling 800-701-1023 or online: upoh.org/covid-testing.
Boys and Girls Club — 721 N. Raleigh Blvd. in Raleigh
Care Tax Service — 909 Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh
Justice Served — 202 N. Tarboro St. in Raleigh
McDonald’s (adjacent parking lot) — 830 E. Williams St. in Apex
The Fountain of Raleigh Fellowship — 9621 Six Forks Road in Raleigh
Baptist on Mission has partnered with Radeas Labs to bring a new drive-thru testing site to Southbridge Fellowship Church. This testing site is located at 12621 Strickland Road in Raleigh. No appointments are necessary, and insurance is accepted. Open Monday through Friday (3:30-8 p.m.) and Saturday (9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.)
Wake County January testing sites
Here are additional testing sites open for part or all of January, per Wake’s website:
Word of God Assembly Church is open for testing Jan. 4-14:
3000 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh
Monday through Friday (10 a.m. - 6 p.m.)
Pre-registration required: mako.exchange/scheduler/registration/?location=6638
Results in 24 to 28 hours. No out-of-pocket costs.
PNC Arena (home to the Hurricanes) is available as a testing location through the end of January. Testing is available at Gate E:
1400 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh
Monday through Friday (7 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
Pre-registration required: mako.exchange/scheduler/registration/?location=6641
Results in 24 to 28 hours. No out-of-pocket costs.
On game and event days, hours at PNC Arena will be 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.. These dates are:
January 7: Hurricanes game
January 12: All Elite Wrestling
January 13: Hurricanes game
January 19: NC State basketball game
January 21: Hurricanes game
January 25: Hurricanes game
January 31: Potential event (to be updated)
Five County Stadium (home to the Carolina Mudcats) is open for testing until the end of January:
1501 NC-39, Zebulon
Monday through Friday (7 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
Pre-registration required: mako.exchange/scheduler/registration/?location=6642
Results back in 24 to 28 hours. No out-of-pocket costs.
How to get a COVID test in Durham County
El Centro Hispano — Open for COVID-19 testing every day (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), 2000 Chapel Hill Rd., Suite 26A in Durham. Drive-thru testing is available.
414 E. Main St. — Open for COVID-19 testing on Saturdays and Sundays (9 a.m. to 7 p.m.), 414 E. Main St. in Durham. Drive-thru testing is available.
To register for testing at El Centro Hispano or 414 E. Main St., visit Lhi.care/covidtesting or call (877) 562-4850. Testing is available for anyone, regardless of age, insurance or documentation. Spanish speakers are available at each location.
Appointments are not required, but are encouraged, per the public health department’s website.
There are over a dozen other testing sites on Durham County Department of Public Health’s website. Visit the site to learn which other testing options are available for you and what you need to do (schedule an appointment, get a physician’s order, etc.) beforehand: dcopublichealth.org
Call or visit each testing site’s webpage for the most up-to-date hours of operation and more information.
How to get a COVID test in Orange County
Orange County has two locations for COVID tests, per the county’s website: Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. Each is open every weekday, but Hillsborough is closed Saturday, while Chapel Hill is closed Sunday. For more information, visit orangecountync.gov/2451/Testing.
Orange County requires appointments due to high demand and staffing shortages, the county’s website says.
• Hillsborough — Testing is available Monday through Friday (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Sundays (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) in the parking lot in front of the Department of Social Services at 113 Mayo Street. Pre-registration is encouraged and may be done online. Select Orange County when registering: unityphm.com/campaigns/starmed.
• Chapel Hill — Testing is available Monday through Friday (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Saturday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at Southern Human Services Center at 2501 Homestead Road. Testing will take place in the large conference room inside the front entrance. The Chapel Hill site does not test babies under the age of 1, per the website.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 12:21 PM with the headline "When and where to get a COVID test: At a testing center? Yes. The ER? No.."
