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Northern Virginia COVID testing?

This may sound ridiculous, but what is the situation for testing and getting results around there? Does anyone know a place with a results turnaround within 72 hours? It has to be a PCR test. Hospital, lab, anything?

We’re taking off from Dulles but can’t board the plane to Paris without a test and results done within 72 hours. This is a new French government rule as of last Friday. (We’re Fr citizens, so allowed to go.)

We’ll be stopping to see our offspring in N. Virginia on the way and hope the situation there is better than where we live (2 week backup for tests and results in 7-10 days).

Posted by
1936 posts

Virginian here and while your child could get you an appointment with their doctor, the turnaround here is still 7-10 days.

Posted by
7049 posts

Hi Bets,
Below is a link where you can find a PDF of testing sites in my neck of the woods. I think you'll have to pick and choose, contact a few, and hope for the best. I don't know of any shortcuts or time guarantees. I got a test on Memorial Day through a neighborhood site the City stood up, and the results took about 5 full days...so that won't be helpful to you.
https://www.alexandriava.gov/CoronavirusFAQ#TestingforCOVID19

If you come up with some good news, could you post the details once you had the test? I'm sure that will be helpful to many people, although anything can change on the ground quite quickly. If there are sudden spikes, then labs will get backed up - and it's hard to predict the future.

Posted by
839 posts

Maryland has over 200 COVID testing sites:

https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/symptoms-testing

Virginia has lots too:

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites/

Waiting for results can range from 36 hours to a week or more.... The wait time depends on a lot of factors, including some not actually illness-related namely restarting of delayed discretionary surgical procedures which now also require a COVID test.

Posted by
10120 posts

Thanks. Very useful list. I spotted a lab in Sterling and will email tomorrow. Merci.

Air France said to take a later flight if the results weren't back on time, but logically, that would reset the clock at zero and require a new test.

Posted by
5471 posts

Bets, there was a discussion on my local Nextdoor site about this same topic. Unfortunately, it mostly identifies places not to go.

A couple people recommended ACE Medical Care in Great Falls (although one person said it took 4 days).

Someone else wrote, ”https://www.nightwatchpeds.com. We took a test for traveling purposes and had the results within 1 hour.”

Posted by
10120 posts

THANKS! I just talked with the lab that processes the McClean Pharmacy swabs. The lab can do normal, rush, and super rush $, $$, $$$, processing directly at their lab: Resource Path.

I’ll check the 1 hour place, too.

Someone wrote me that a few Walgreens have labs in the store, so those can do a fast turnaround.

Edit: We’ll check the Walgreens to see if any have labs on site. Someone said if there’s a white trailer in the parking lot, it could be a lab.

We might use the lab in Sterling, the one that partners with the McClean Rx. They also have overnight shipping and processing, meaning we’ll be within our 72 hour timeframe.

THANK YOU EVERYONE.

Posted by
2462 posts

My son went to a Walgreens in Denver for covid testing and had results within an hour. So if there are Walgreens with similar facilities in your area, that might be a good bet.