RT-PCR Testing -- NY/Tri-State Region

Aipotu

Aipotu

SBH Insider
We're getting ready for a visit to the island in mid-November. It looks like St. Barths still has the 72-hour requirement for a RT-PCR Covid test. We have not been able to find any location in Connecticut that can provide test results in under 72 hours. (There are many, many places doing the rapid antigen test, but that does not appear to qualify.)

Has anyone in the tri-state area -- New York, Connecticut, northern New Jersey -- found providers that can turn around the required PCR tests in less than 72 hours (in reality, more like 48-56 hours given early morning flights)?

I know people are making it to the island from the States, and there are only so many airports to fly in from...so how are fellow travelers tackling this one?

Thank you and merci beaucoups!
 
Someone posted earlier today in another thread about a walk-in lab on, as I recall, 42nd Street in Manhattan that gives fast turnaround.
 
I have made some posts about this..most hospitals in NYC are turning around same day. You need to find a doc affiliated to make an appointment. Or use a concierge service that charges $500 per test...
 
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As travel begins to increase I see places popping up in my area for rapid PCR testing. $500 for 24 hour and $300 for 48 hour. Drove by yesterday morning and there must have been 30 people in line at 9:00 AM.
 
Rapid nasal swabbing--the most important is rapid processing. Ask first how long it will take to get the hopefully negative results back to you
 
sfbarts said:
The will not accept the saliva test.
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Hopefully they will at some point. A lot of the mass testing being done at Colleges (at least in NY) has been via a saliva test. I guess being quicker, easier and perhaps cheaper(?) offsets the margin of error in some cases. It may not be perfect but neither is the nasal swab when done 72 hours beforehand and I imagine certainly not if it is via an at-home collection kit like described above. Are people going to jam that swab far enough back into their own or their family members noses to get the most accurate reading? Hopefully a saliva test will in the not so distant future prove to be accurate enough that it will be acceptable or perhaps once a vaccine is available (whenever that may be) the combination of both proving you had the vaccine and also a negative saliva test will be acceptable. I suspect this will be a fluid situation (no pun intended).
 
I agree. We are coming in November arriving on a Tuesday so we have to be tested Saturday and pray we get results in time... also might try Covid consultants offer a nasal swab you do yourself and fedex to them. they guarantee results within 72 hrs... will see.
 
amyb said:
Rapid nasal swabbing--the most important is rapid processing. Ask first how long it will take to get the hopefully negative results back to you
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I don't think St. Barths is accepting the rapid nasal swabbing tests -- web site specifically says it must be PCR.
 
quest online is saying 2 to 5 days. covidconsultants.com which is the lab I will use, have guaranteed my results within 24 hours or sooner. they told me if they receive my specimen wednesday morning next week, they will most likely have my pcr nasal swab test results wednesday afternoon, but will guarantee results by thursday morning.

quest is less expensive but may not meet the 72 hour deadline, as they have refused via phone call to guarantee my results even in the 2 day frame.
 
didier said:
quest online is saying 2 to 5 days. covidconsultants.com which is the lab I will use, have guaranteed my results within 24 hours or sooner. they told me if they receive my specimen wednesday morning next week, they will most likely have my pcr nasal swab test results wednesday afternoon, but will guarantee results by thursday morning.

quest is less expensive but may not meet the 72 hour deadline, as they have refused via phone call to guarantee my results even in the 2 day frame.
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Just went to their website and it looks promising. Would you mind letting us know how your experience with them goes? Thank you!
 
Aipotu said:
Just went to their website and it looks promising. Would you mind letting us know how your experience with them goes? Thank you!
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will do! I have a flight on friday, october 9th. hopefully everything will go smoothly.

I was informed by tradewind airlines that it does not matter what time I do the test on tuesday, my test results will be accepted for their friday flight from puerto rico to st. barths.

the lab ( covidconsultants) is telling me that it would be okay if I sent them a test that I would do on monday because they will not receive the tests until tuesday, so the lab said the day that they receive the specimen is considered the date when the test is taken. I am playing it safe and waiting until tuesday to do the test, then I will fedex the specimen to covidconsultants who will receive the fedex on wednesday.
 
Regarding saliva vs. nasal swab as the means of the sample for molecular testing, an analysis of multiple studies comparing saliva vs. nasopharyngeal swab reported sensitivities of 91% (CI 80–99%) for saliva and 98% (CI 89–100%) for nasopharyngeal swab... (and noted that because) the two confidence intervals overlap, it appears that the proportions of positive test results from the saliva and NPS samples are not very different."

In the last 2 weeks, a large study of asymptomatic screening, which includes a group of travel tests, and a report in hospitalized patients also recorded overlapping confidence intervals, although with sensitivities favoring saliva samples.

I suspect use of saliva will get much attention in coming weeks and months for reasons discussed in the referenced articles but have no idea if it will lead to a change in St Barth entry requirements.
 
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