COVID-19 Is on the Rise: Here's How to Find Free COVID Testing Sites - CNET

As we attack our 3rd wintertime of COVID-19, quality astir the microorganism is mixed. The US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have approved caller vaccine booster shots targeting the caller omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, but COVID cases and hospitalizations person besides started to emergence again, peculiarly successful California. 

Though cases proceed to climb, investigating for COVID-19 is an casual mode to support those astir you if you deliberation you mightiness person the virus. The caller booster shots person been approved, but it inactive mightiness instrumentality a fewer weeks for astir radical to person the latest circular of the vaccine. 

Read more: Your Expired COVID Test Kits Might Still Be Good. Here's How to Find Out

The escaped COVID-19 trial programme that was offered done the US Postal Service is no longer available. However, if you request oregon privation to trial for free, you inactive person a fewer options. Read connected to find retired however to find a escaped COVID-19 investigating location. For more, here's what to cognize astir long COVID, and here's how to cognize if it's COVID, allergies oregon thing else.

What are my escaped COVID-19 investigating options? 

There are 3 main avenues to find escaped COVID-19 investigating locations crossed the US: HRSA wellness centers, Test to Treat locations and ICATT investigating sites. These options relation similarly, but we'll interruption down the circumstantial steps you request to instrumentality to find your nearest escaped investigating location.

HRSA wellness centers connection escaped COVID-19 testing

HRSA wellness centers connection escaped COVID-19 testing. 

HRSA/Screenshot by CNET

The Health Resources and Services Administration funds wellness centers crossed the US. At these HRSA wellness centers, you volition beryllium capable to person escaped COVID-19 testing. You tin usage HRSA's locator tool to find a halfway adjacent you.

First, prime the connection you would similar to person your results in. Then simply participate the determination you privation to hunt into the container labeled Location. The locator besides allows you to widen your hunt radius, truthful you tin spot each the options your country has to offer. 

Once you've recovered a halfway that works for you, click done to that peculiar location's website and travel their circumstantial instructions for obtaining a escaped COVID-19 test. 

Test to Treat locations person COVID investigating and medicine

The Test to Treat programme makes COVID investigating and therapeutics much accessible. 

HHS/Screenshot by CNET

Test to Treat is simply a federally funded wellness attraction inaugural that provides much accessible COVID-19 care. This enactment differs from the others successful this nonfiction arsenic you tin usage the Test to Treat centers to person some COVID investigating and attraction for infections. Like the different COVID-19 escaped investigating options,Test to Treat has a locator instrumentality that you tin usage to find an eligible Test to Treat Center adjacent you. 

The Test to Treat halfway locator works similar the different COVID investigating hunt tools. Enter your determination into the hunt barroom and the instrumentality volition show Test to Treat locations successful your area. A sliding barroom lets you resize the hunt radius to seizure each of the Test to Treat centers wrong your area. 

Within the Test to Treat locator results, you'll beryllium capable to spot each location's address, which COVID-19 therapeutics they connection and different peculiar instructions you mightiness request to cognize to get tested. 

Increasing Community Access to Testing provides COVID investigating for the uninsured

ICATT offers escaped investigating to uninsured patients who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 oregon who person precocious been exposed.

CDC/Screenshot by CNET

Increasing Community Access to Testing, oregon ICATT, is different escaped investigating programme that you tin usage if you request entree to escaped COVID-19 testing. However, ICATT works a spot otherwise than the different programs connected this list. 

ICATT is specifically designed for uninsured patients who person been exposed to COVID-19 oregon are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. However, anyone tin get an ICATT trial astatine 1 of the program's locations, careless of security status. If you are uninsured and you privation to beryllium tested astatine an ICATT eligible site, you volition not request to wage for your test. If you are insured, you mightiness request to wage a fee. 

The ICATT locator tool works conscionable similar the different locator tools for escaped COVID investigating -- input your code oregon your zip codification to find ICATT locations adjacent you. There is simply a hunt radius adjuster successful this locator to tweak your searches to seizure the full country that you privation to search. 

Once you've recovered a determination you would similar to trial at, travel your investigating location's steps for scheduling your assignment to get tested. 

Which types of COVID-19 tests are disposable for free?

While each idiosyncratic investigating halfway volition person antithetic tests available, determination are 2 main types of COVID tests that volition beryllium disposable -- molecular PCR (polymerase concatenation reaction) tests oregon RATs (rapid antigen tests). PCR and antigen tests are administered successful the aforesaid mode truthful there's nary avoiding the swab up the nose. However, the PCR is much close than the accelerated antigen trial and requires a laboratory to analyse the results.

The CDC calls the PCR "the golden modular for COVID-19 tests." These tests are usually administered astatine a doctor's bureau oregon 1 of the investigating locations mentioned above. PCR tests instrumentality a small longer than antigen tests -- you whitethorn request to hold a time oregon 2 to get your results.

Rapid antigen tests are the benignant usually recovered successful location investigating kits. These tests don't request to beryllium sent to a laboratory and volition usually instrumentality results successful astir 15 minutes. However, since they are little close than PCR tests, the CDC advises that "a azygous antagonistic antigen trial cannot regularisation retired infection." 

To rule retired a COVID-19 corruption with much certainty, the FDA recommends 2 antagonistic antigen tests for symptomatic testers and 3 antagonistic antigen tests for asymptomatic testers, with each trial being performed 48 hours apart. 

For more, here's however to find retired if your expired COVID-19 tests are inactive good and how to cognize if you person COVID-19, allergies, oregon different precocious respiratory infection.