COVID-19 testing FAQ: What you need to know

Dozens of urgent care facilities, medical centers, hospitals and drive-thru facilities across Long Island, from Elmont to Riverhead, are providing COVID-19 tests. Urgent care centers said they've seen their volume grow significantly since the start of the holiday season, with long lines for tests stretching several blocks. For many locations, testing is by appointment only and some facilities allow patients to wait in their cars until their testing facility is ready for them. Some labs offer testing to walk-ins as well.

New York City now posts wait-time updates three times a day on Twitter pointing residents to testing sites with the shortest waits. Long Island does not yet offer such as service although Northwell Health, the region's largest health network, does post wait times at its facilities.

Click here for a state Department of Health tool to help you find a testing site near you.

Two kinds of tests are available to detect COVID-19: a diagnostic viral test to determine if you currently have the inflection and an antibody test to determine if you previously were infected. Currently, there are two types of diagnostic tests — molecular tests, which detect the virus’ genetic material and can take several days to get results, and an antigen, or rapid point-of-care test, that detects specific proteins from the virus and gives results the same day.

Pharmaceutical companies have also introduced saliva tests, usually by prescription, that allow a patient to spit into a tube rather than get their nose or throat swabbed and at-home collection tests that allow individuals to collect samples at home and then send them to a lab.

Many urgent care facilities across Long Island offer rapid tests, with results often available within 30 minutes. Nassau County has partnered with area hospitals to open drive-thru testing sites offering rapid results in the Five Towns, Oceanside and Manhasset.

Not everyone should get tested for COVID, officials advise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that people showing symptoms of the virus, who have had close contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or who have been referred by their health care provider, should get tested.

Molecular tests are generally more reliable than rapid antigen tests, health experts agree. The rapid tests use a mucus sample from the nose or throat and have a higher chance of missing an active infection, according to the CDC. If a rapid antigen test shows a negative result, a health care provider may order a molecular test to confirm the result.

The CDC recommends that international air travelers get a viral test 1-3 days before their flight. Travelers should get tested 3-5 days after their trip and stay home for 7 days, the CDC says. If a traveler does not get tested, the agency says it’s safest to stay home for 14 days.

New York State requires travelers who were out of state for more than 24 hours to obtain a test within three days of departure, before arrival in New York. The traveler must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days. On day 4 of their quarantine, the traveler must obtain another COVID test. The state's guidance does not apply to travel to and from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act mandates that all COVID-19 testing is free, whether or not the patient has insurance. However, rapid tests offered at some laboratories can have a separate charge while over-the counter testing kits, sold at many retailers, run in excess of $100. Patients may also be responsible for additional out-of-pocket costs if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 and require additional care.

The medical facility or lab that conducts the test and/or analyzes the sample should provide the result.