Thinking of getting a Covid-19 test? Here's what you need to know

Anyone who wants a free Covid-19 test can get one. 

It's been that way for a while. But considering the situation in the spring of last year, it's a testament to how far New York State has come that widespread testing is now a foundation of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's Covid-19 response strategy, which harnesses testing data at the local level.

Compare that to March and April. Erie County health officials had so few tests available that they essentially told residents that if they thought they were infected, they should just assume they had the virus, get rest and self-quarantine at home unless their symptoms warranted hospital admission.

Nowadays, local residents have more options. The bar for getting a free Covid-19 test is low:

• You don't have to have symptoms if you are being tested at a government-run site.

• You don't have to wait a long time for an appointment.

• There's no requirement for a doctor's referral.

Erie County-sponsored Covid-19 testing is free, but the county is restricting testing to those who either exhibit symptoms or have been identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive. 

Many private health care providers, urgent care centers and pharmacies also offer both PCR and rapid tests. However, some charge, especially if an individual is not symptomatic or a close contact of someone who tested positive. Additionally, some providers are charging fees to provide rapid tests, regardless of an individual's symptoms or exposure.

If you are getting tested through a private provider, call ahead for an appointment and ask questions regarding cost and turnaround time for results. 

The Erie County Health Department offers an interactive map on its website at erie.gov/covid19, identifying locations to get both diagnostic and antibody testing.

County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Erie County continues to receive regular shipments of diagnostic tests from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The county also has the ability to do hundreds of rapid tests a week. Individuals who make county appointments for a Covid-19 test will receive either a traditional PCR test, which is more sensitive but requires longer processing time, or a rapid test.

Testing evolution

In a state of 19 million people, Cuomo recalls having the ability to run only about 500 to 1,000 tests a day in the beginning. That number now stands at roughly 300,000 a day, he said.

In Erie alone, the county went from struggling to get test results for a few hundred residents a day to now regularly receiving between 3,000 to 6,000 test results a day from both private and public labs.

Aside from the traditional nasal swab tests that generally have a turnaround time of a few days – if directly administered by Erie County or the state Department of Health – New York is loaning out toaster-sized rapid testing machines, which deliver results within 15 minutes, to help trace and squash Covid-19 outbreaks in all corners of the state.

Cuomo has called testing the key to controlling the spread of the coronavirus.

"How do you do it? More testing, more targeting, more focused attack," he said. "But it starts with more testing because you need the facts. But when you have more testing, then your actions are localized and not statewide. See, statewide actions are hard. There is not a politician out there now who is willing to close down their state."

The upside for residents is that getting a test these days is a relatively simple process if you know where to look.

Types of tests

There are two overarching types of tests: diagnostic tests designed to determine if you have Covid-19 right now, and antibody tests designed to determine whether you contracted Covid-19 in the past and have recovered, which may indicate some immunity against future infection.

Erie County has offered both types of tests. And both Erie County and the state offer more than one kind of diagnostic test.

The two types of diagnostic tests routinely being done here include the traditional nasal swab test, also known as a PCR test, and the rapid molecular nasal swab test, in which a nasal swab specimen is inserted into an Abbott ID NOW toaster-like device that spits out results in 15 minutes.

A third type of rapid test, Binax NOW, has a similar turnaround time and is more accurate than Abbott ID NOW, but that test is not currently being used by the Erie County Health Department. Both Abbott ID NOW and BinaxNOW are more likely to yield false negatives in individuals without Covid-19 symptoms.

The PCR test is considered most sensitive but requires a turnaround time of one-to-three days.

The county offers diagnostic test clinics three days a week, rotating between Amherst, Buffalo and Orchard Park locations. The state is offering testing every day but Sunday. 

While the county was originally assisting schools with Covid-19 testing, the state is the one now providing rapid tests to students in prekindergarten through high school – as well as school staff – that are participating in on-site instruction.

The antibody test offered by Erie County requires a blood draw and has seen diminished popularity, resulting in antibody testing clinics being scaled back and no longer regularly offered. Other health care providers, however, also conduct this test.

All state and Erie County drive-thru diagnostic test clinics require that appointments be made. Only the county's periodic antibody test clinic accepts walk-ins.

Where to get a free test

Following are all the Erie County and state testing sites, as well as the Niagara County test site operated by the state. State drive-thru sites have more available testing slots. All these government agencies provide Covid-19 tests free of charge.

Don't forget: Most state and county diagnostic tests require that an appointment be made in advance.

To make an appointment for a clinic operated by the Erie County Health Department, call 858-2929. The county's Covid-19 hotline is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

To make an appointment for a clinic operated by New York State, call 1-888-364-3065 or visit covid19screening.health.ny.gov.

New York State's standard diagnostic testing sites, with results usually available within a few days, are:

• KeyBank Center (Sabres parking lot), 125 Perry St., Buffalo. Open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

• Niagara County Community College, 3111 Saunders Settlement Road, Sanborn. Open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

Erie County has three PCR diagnostic testing sites, with test results usually available within two to three days. These locations are:

• Amherst Highway Garage, 450 Maple Road. Open from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays.

• Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, 298 Pearl St., Buffalo. Open from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

• SUNY Erie South Campus (Erie Community College South), 4990 Big Tree Road, Orchard Park. Open from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays.

In addition, Erie County now also offers some rapid testing for those who meet certain criteria. Rapid tests are scheduled on a same-day basis.

Although the Erie County Health Department had previously limited its free testing to those who had symptoms or were a close contact of someone who tested positive, the department has upgraded its machinery and test types so that it can now accommodate anyone who would like to be tested. 

Again, appointments are required.