murphyag said:

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A buddy of mine who lives in Atlanta had to have a Covid test done yesterday. It was done in one of the public testing centers at the Georgia Tech campus. It was a drive thru/stay in the car testing site located in one of the large on campus parking garages.

My friend was handed directions and a swab and had to perform the nasal swab test on himself. Has anyone around here heard of places in Texas doing that? Seems like a piss poor way to do health testing and expect accurate results.

I've never heard of anyone else or myself being asked to perform my own flu test, strep test, etc. So, thought my friend's experience yesterday was strange.

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It's a way to conserve PPE and speed up sample taking. If the nurse does it, they have to change PPE every car to prevent becoming a super-spreader.

I had a member of my extended family do this. She got a negative result but I always wonder if that is because she didn't do it correctly - like stick it far enough in?

Did a drive thru test a couple weeks ago now, but it was administered by a med student volunteer I think. They got it stick it up my nose and it was not pleasant. They counted to ten as well.

I don't think you can really do it yourself. Not sure why other tests like saliva based tests haven't been adopted if you are going to rely on the test taker for the sample.

How do they typically test for other viruses?

Don't think self test would be accurate. My wife paid $500 for visit and test this Saturday at a minor emergency clinic. It was one of the quick response ones. Dr told her negative for strep, flu and Covid. Wife said "good". Dr said not necessarily, those have a 20% false negative and tech may not have done correctly. If she still felt bad Tuesday get another. Tuesday went to another minor emergency clinic and they did another test, mich further up nose and did both nostrils this time. She was shocked by the difference. Still waiting on results.

Can't imagine a self test being done correctly if a $500 test couldn't be done right by a medical professional.

Not all tests require a nasopharyngeal swab. LabCorp has an at-home PCR test kit that is a regular nasal swab.

https://www.pixel.labcorp.com/covid-19

After getting one done last Saturday, no way would I have been able to stick the swab that far up my own nostril.

$500?? That seems outrageous. I went on Saturday to an urgent care facility and had the results Monday morning at 8am. Insurance covered fully.

I sat in the car for about 10 minutes, then asked if it could be removed as an outpatient.

Looks like it can be done.

I did one in Katy in April. It was a drive through at the stadium. Stick in nose, count to 15, repeat with other nostril. Got a text two days later that it was negative.

I do not think a very high % of people can/will administer a self swab properly.

I have had 2 tests with the first administered by a tech at Memorial Hospital. They only did one nostril, but lets just say they did a very thorough job. They stuck that swab in further than I ever though something could go into your nose/sinuses. They swirled it around for 10-15 seconds. It made me gag and cough and my eyes were watering. Very unpleasant experience.

I had the second test done at the Harris County site in Katy which was self swab as described above. They give you the swab and a vial to put it in. The nurse then tries to explain/show you how to do it from 10 feet away, wearing a mask, while you have your window up and cant hear a word they are saying. I had just had a test done so I knew what it was supposed to feel like, and I had read enough to know how it is supposed to work/how deep to go etc. Even with that knowledge I am not sure I did it good enough. Shoving something that far in is kind of like trying to thump your own eyeball - your brain really doesn't want you to do it.

I find it hard to believe that someone that has no idea what it is supposed to feel like and has never before heard/read how it works, could do do it correctly. IF it is critical to swab as intensively as the hospital tech did in order to get accurate results - I would say a huge % of the self swab tests are inaccurate.

I say this with NO agenda - just relaying my experience.

She works at a dentist office and wanted to be cleared to work Tuesday. This was the only place in town that did the 15 minute test and they didn't take our insurance.

Went to another place Tuesday and didn't pay anything. They said 2-5 days. Still no results.

Did this. Not very fun doing it to yourself. I'm sure it wasn't as deep as someone else's doing it to me.

Test came back negative.

At least it didn't cost me $500 like above.