BinaxNow Covid-19 Ag test card review and info

[Smmessineo]

8 minutes ago, okiedrifters said:

Thanks for posting your experience using the tests, those two words “fast and easy” is exactly what we are looking for!

 

 In the link you posted, I noticed this update above the article…this note and other reviews from users regarding wait times is encouraging!  I have followed the above group for a few years now, and I can always depend on to date and accurate information on multiple subjects. Travel related and they have it covered! They are always my “go to” for latest information regardless of location.

 

We will try to allow plenty of time just in case….

 

Update 8/11/21: Wait times seem to be improving since we wrote this article. TPG’s Zach Honig took two tests in the past couple of days and found a 9-minute hold (both times!) for a provider.

 

 

I am the OP of this thread, we took our tests on August 25, 8 am EDT no wait. 9 am EDT 9 minute wait.  Quick, easy testing. They must have hired more test supervisors  as demand has grown.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Smmessineo

[Gambler458]

17 hours ago, Smmessineo said:

I am the OP of this thread, we took our tests on August 25, 8 am EDT no wait. 9 am EDT 9 minute wait.  Quick, easy testing. They must have hired more test supervisors  as demand has grown.

I just ordered the test on Optum.com pack of 2 for 69.99. We'll be sailing on Sept 4th also.  I'll keep my appt with CVS for 9/1 in the afternoon and do this test in the AM. The cvs is an hour from my house.

Thank you for this testing info!

[Gambler458]

On 8/25/2021 at 5:54 PM, RichYak said:

Per Optum's customer support, they can be shared by 2 people. I sent them a message just today asking this exact question.

 

"Thank you for contacting the Optum store. Yes a 2-pack can be split between two individuals. Each of you will just need to register your own account with emed.com"

So even though I ordered from Otum.com the test is conducted under EMed.com?

[Sheltielover73]

This is FANTASTIC!! Definitely will use for my Dec 3 Silhouette sailing!

 

Question- for the eMed company... anyone know what hours a proctor can oversee a test? Wondering how early in the day? 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, Gambler458 said:

I just ordered the test on Optum.com pack of 2 for 69.99. We'll be sailing on Sept 4th also.  I'll keep my appt with CVS for 9/1 in the afternoon and do this test in the AM. The cvs is an hour from my house.

Thank you for this testing info!

How long does the test take to be delivered?  

 

I think these tests might be the best route for many as it seems to be controllable as to when you will see your results.   Waiting 10 minutes would be no big issue for me as my test site is further away than that.

[Gambler458]

41 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

How long does the test take to be delivered?  

 

I think these tests might be the best route for many as it seems to be controllable as to when you will see your results.   Waiting 10 minutes would be no big issue for me as my test site is further away than that.

Says delivery with aug 30 or 31. Perfect for my Sept 4th. Cruise.  I'll do the test on Wednesday. 

[jcpc]

2 hours ago, Sheltielover73 said:

This is FANTASTIC!! Definitely will use for my Dec 3 Silhouette sailing!

 

Question- for the eMed company... anyone know what hours a proctor can oversee a test? Wondering how early in the day? 

I called eMed yesterday with this exact question.  I was told they are currently operating and proctors are available for testing 24/7!!

[dreams_of_travel]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

How long does the test take to be delivered?  

I ordered a set of 3 tests on 19 Aug.  I had to call on the 20th b/c I had not received an email about shipping. According to their site, after you order a shipping email goes out alerting you to delivery date, etc. That way the box won't be sitting out in the heat or sun on arrival, you can prepare to collect it from your door to prevent that.  There had been some sort of mix up, but it was sorted easily.  Of course that mix up delayed delivery, and I didn't get the box until Thursday, a week later on the 26th.  This ships (mine did) from Oakland, CA.  I would recommend ordering a couple weeks ahead of when you need it b/c shipping issues can and do happen.  YMMV

[Smmessineo]

I'm the OP reporting back. Onboard the Edge. The results of the monitored BinaxNow ag card test were ACCEPTED. No questions, no problems . Boarding was easy. 

[Turtles06]

Many thanks to the OP and everyone else who has provided helpful information above. For those who may not have seen it, eMed has a set of FAQ, here:

 

https://www.emed.com/contact-us?hsLang=en

[KruznKimmie]

7 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

How long does the test take to be delivered?  

 

I think these tests might be the best route for many as it seems to be controllable as to when you will see your results.   Waiting 10 minutes would be no big issue for me as my test site is further away than that.

When I ordered my tests they said they would arrive within 2 days but then received an email the tests were delayed & it took about 5 days to arrive.  But note as others have mentioned the shelf life/expiration dates were not very long only a few months.

Edited August 28, 2021 by aly7859
Added info

[KruznKimmie]

If you scroll down this post you will find detailed instructions on how to administer the test.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/abbott-at-home-covid-test/

Edited August 28, 2021 by aly7859

[Jim_Iain]

9 minutes ago, aly7859 said:

When I ordered my tests they said they would arrive within 2 days but then received an email the tests were delayed & it took about 5 days to arrive.

Thanks.....

[Turtles06]

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

How long does the test take to be delivered?  

 

I think these tests might be the best route for many as it seems to be controllable as to when you will see your results.   Waiting 10 minutes would be no big issue for me as my test site is further away than that.

From everything I’ve read, it’s not the waiting time to get the results that might be an issue, but how long you have to wait until the observer joins you so you can take the test, which you don’t control. You can’t make an appointment, you just log on and hope for the best.  There were waits of around two hours not long ago, not so much of a problem recently. Hopefully, they are really staffing up on the trained observers so that the waiting time is minimal and predictable. 

[MartinsCruise]

The 2 and 3 packs are out of stock right now on Optum.  They don't know when they will get them again.  I've sent an email to emed to see if they can give me an expiration date for their 6 pack.  

[PaulS]

I ordered the 3-pack of tests from Optum on Wednesday. The confirming email indicated that they would be shipped either Thursday or Friday. They actually shipped today, Saturday,  via FedEx and I received a notice from FedEx that they will deliver on Monday.

[Turtles06]

I have been assuming that if you buy a multi-pack of BinaxNow tests, someone else (e.g., your spouse, a friend, anyone) can use one of the tests, as long as she has registered separately with NAVICA.  This question is actually addressed on the eMed FAQ, but strangely is not answered with a clear "Yes... so long as..."    

 

Here's the FAQ:

"CAN I BUY A BINAXNOW HOME TEST AND GIVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE?

In order to receive a test result, digital lab report and/or health pass after participating in a virtually guided test session with an eMed Certified Guide, an individual must have registered and downloaded the NAVICA™ app while inside the U.S. and its territories."

 

I will give eMed a call, but has anyone bought a multi-pack of tests and had someone else register, use one of the tests, and receive her own results?   Thanks!

[MartinsCruise]

14 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

I have been assuming that if you buy a multi-pack of BinaxNow tests, someone else (e.g., your spouse, a friend, anyone) can use one of the tests, as long as she has registered separately with NAVICA.  This question is actually addressed on the eMed FAQ, but strangely is not answered with a clear "Yes... so long as..."    

 

Here's the FAQ:

"CAN I BUY A BINAXNOW HOME TEST AND GIVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE?

In order to receive a test result, digital lab report and/or health pass after participating in a virtually guided test session with an eMed Certified Guide, an individual must have registered and downloaded the NAVICA™ app while inside the U.S. and its territories."

 

I will give eMed a call, but has anyone bought a multi-pack of tests and had someone else register, use one of the tests, and receive her own results?   Thanks!

 We fly to FLL on Sept 16 so I went ahead and ordered a six pack from emed.  I haven't heard back from them regarding the expiration date but at this point, I don't want to take a chance that they will run out of tests.  When I placed the order I had to fill in both of our names, DOB's and the reason we need to be tested.  There were additional places for more names if needed.  We have another cruise in Nov and a trip to Aruba in Feb so hopefully we can use the remaining four tests. 

[KruznKimmie]

46 minutes ago, MartinsCruise said:

 We fly to FLL on Sept 16 so I went ahead and ordered a six pack from emed.  I haven't heard back from them regarding the expiration date but at this point, I don't want to take a chance that they will run out of tests.  When I placed the order I had to fill in both of our names, DOB's and the reason we need to be tested.  There were additional places for more names if needed.  We have another cruise in Nov and a trip to Aruba in Feb so hopefully we can use the remaining four tests. 

At least you will have an extra kit in case something goes wrong which is always a good plan.

When I received my kits from EMed the expiration date was approximately 3-4 months from the time I received the kits.  Hopefully with the demand increasing the expiration time has been extended. 

Also, something I usually do not do is I printed my results so I had a hard copy which was helpful because others were trying to access their results on their phones & having issues.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, MartinsCruise said:

 We fly to FLL on Sept 16 so I went ahead and ordered a six pack from emed.  I haven't heard back from them regarding the expiration date but at this point, I don't want to take a chance that they will run out of tests.  When I placed the order I had to fill in both of our names, DOB's and the reason we need to be tested.  There were additional places for more names if needed.  We have another cruise in Nov and a trip to Aruba in Feb so hopefully we can use the remaining four tests. 

 

Thanks so much for your detailed reply.  And I think you were wise to order the packs now, given your schedule.  Good luck with the tests, and have a wonderful bunch of trips!

[Turtles06]

16 minutes ago, aly7859 said:

When I received my kits from EMed the expiration date was approximately 3-4 months from the time I received the kits.  Hopefully with the demand increasing the expiration time has been extended. 

 

In case you haven't seen this re the 90-day extension of the expiration date:

 

"Through an exclusive agreement with Abbott, the eMed digital health platform provides greater access to BinaxNOW™, the first virtually-guided, at-home COVID-19 test.

Important Information about Expiration Dates:  The manufacturer has extended the expiration date of BinaxNOW Home Tests by an additional 90 days.  Using the lot number on the outside of the box the test comes in, you can find the new extended expiration date here."

 

https://ohio.emed.com/

 

Also this from the eMed FAQ page:

 

"When Does My Test Expire?

Shelf life has been extended for the BinaxNOW Home Test, please review the letter issued by the FDA here for more information: https://eMed.com/FDA"

 

https://www.emed.com/contact-us

 

[EagleRocker]

I ordered the 3-pack from Optum last Saturday the 21st and the tests arrived on Friday the 27th. Expiration date of early October 2021, with a sticker noting the three month extension of the expiration date. I would order early if they still are available, as shipping was delayed from the promised two day delivery.

[m8zenblue]

On 8/25/2021 at 10:57 AM, Smmessineo said:

I wanted to share my good experience. My husband and I have an Edge sailing Sept 4. After having trouble booking tests , then having Walmart/quest cancel and CVS say results are 2-3 days minimum, Celebrity came through and gave the ok for people to use the  Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card with telehealth supervision.. I ordered a 6 pack from eMed . They were delivered the next day ! Now that we had tests in hand, we decided why not sail even sooner!?!

We just tested today. It was straightforward and not time consuming at all. We used our phones, didn't need a computer . You basically are in a video call with the person monitoring your test taking. At 8 am EDT I had no wait to speak to a test supervisor.  At 9am my husband had a 9 minute wait. There are some videos out there showing the process, as well as written instructions on the eMed and Navica sites. 

The results are available in multiple formats, and show all pertinent information. I will give an update when we board.

So we are negative as of today, August 25 , and just booked the August 28 sailing! Since we already had Sept 4 booked, so it may become a b2b or we may just cancel Sept 4 and move the FCC to our January cruise. 😁

So, my question is what day did you take it and what did did you get results ?

[Gambler458]

On 8/28/2021 at 9:15 AM, Gambler458 said:

I just ordered the test on Optum.com pack of 2 for 69.99. We'll be sailing on Sept 4th also.  I'll keep my appt with CVS for 9/1 in the afternoon and do this test in the AM. The cvs is an hour from my house.

Thank you for this testing info!

I had to cancel my order this morning, it was still in process and they can't tell me when it will ship yet, I sail Saturday.  : (

[Smmessineo]

36 minutes ago, m8zenblue said:

So, my question is what day did you take it and what did did you get results ?

I took the test Wednesday for a Saturday cruise. You take the test at home, with a supervisor watching you by vudeo. So you see the results yourself, they develop over 15 minutes and you show the supervisor your card and confirm the results with them. It looks like an at home pregnancy test, one pink stripe negative , two pink stripes positive. The test supervisor immediately sends official confirmation of results to the Navica app and your email. 

If you get a chance, follow the links other people have posted here that show the process. That will explain it better than i can.