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 How to time and get PCR test for (free or cheap) for trip to Nepal ? Any thoughts ?
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COVID PCR test Travel Nepal Catch 22 Flight
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Posted on 04-04-21 2:49 AM     Reply [Subscribe]
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I am struggling with the idea of getting PCR for the upcoming trip to Nepal, please help me figure out how to time and get PCR for free or cheap as I plan for my trip to Nepal in coming few weeks.

I saw the following article online and confused me even more. Any thoughts ? Tell me what you guys are doing about PCR tests ? I have heard that they don't care about vaccines for now in International airports such as in Nepal, is it true ?


Playing Catch-22 with International Travel dictums
=================================

Exasperated! That’s how you must be feeling right now about the uncertainty of your planned trip for international travel.

Emerging Covid-19 test requirements for travel to all sorts of places are sowing doubt and confusion at a minimum for would-be travelers; or they are just downright impossible to achieve in some cases, giving the most stringent mandates a distinct Catch-22 quality. Specific to some people, new Covid-10 testing directives in few countries threaten a planned trip scheduled in coming days or weeks.

Tourism is vitally important to many international destinations, not only for their economy but also for the people who go there for fun. Naturally many countries want to reopen its borders to international tourists asap and many people are longing for a trip of a lifetime after being bored for more than a year now


With so much travel in demand, You probably thought that many country's government would have developed a well-coordinated set of requirements to make it easy for international visitors to comply when the country reopen. Instead, most governments muddled things entirely with directives to arriving passengers that are impossible to achieve: some of them are

1. Produce a negative Covid-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) certificate not more than 72 hours old; and

2. Show proof of travel insurance that covers cover the cost of Covid-19 tests and quarantine costs.


First, the worldwide insurance industry does not currently issue policies covering mandated government testing requirements and quarantine costs for a known event. Perhaps they will, but my sources speculate the cost for such a policy would soar above the garden variety travel insurance currently costing $25-80. For the moment, though, there is no insurance at any cost that meets the requirement, and so the order is a Catch-22.

With regard to the PCR Covid test, you might have found several places in your town that offer the test, many without a doctor’s referral, with prices ranging from nearly free using your private health insurance to as much as $300 when all fees are totaled. It’s hard to figure out what all the costs are.

But cost wasn’t the kicker; it’s the time required to get results.

PCR tests are much more accurate than the many “quick” tests available because they use specialized lab equipment that takes time. Every place you might have queried would have given you the same inflexible answer to get back results: 2-3 days.

Many host country's requirement to present a negative PCR Covid-19 test result not older than 72 hours makes it impossible to comply because the 3-day window will close due to the lag time between testing and receiving test results.

Even if PCR test results came in just two days, many of you won't get to that place within 72 hours if the place is far away and needs connecting flight, which makes this requirement, too, a Catch-22.

Your trip planned for coming days or weeks in 2021 is still off by sometime, so maybe the country you are going to will untangle the mess they’ve made. Right now, though, several of my friends have postponed all international trips because they feel that they can meet the fiats when he returns home.

So will you cancel your trip…? Way too early. May be you want to wait and see just how they straighten out things.

Meantime, I am sure Joseph Heller is laughing heartily somewhere in the Great Beyond watching the creation of ever more Catch-22 situations that plague us (pun intended).


 
Posted on 04-04-21 3:24 PM     [Snapshot: 117]     Reply [Subscribe]
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Book an appointment online on CVS site 2 days before your flight. CVS provides free covid testing though drive through. Very straightforward and easy. Use link below. Good luck.

https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing
 
Posted on 04-04-21 4:13 PM     [Snapshot: 9]     Reply [Subscribe]
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This info was helpful regarding PCR test result required to travel to Kathmandu via Dubai


All passengers need to carry two printed copies of a negative

COVID-19 RT-PCR, (most widely accepted)
SARS-CoV2 GeneXpert or (some authorities may accept it)
Nucleic Acid Amplification (NAAT) (some may accept it)

These test result certificate needs to have been issued no more than 72 hours before departure from the first embarkation point.

One copy of the certificate will be collected at the boarding gate prior to boarding the flight in Dubai (DXB). Children under the age of 5 years are exempt from this requirement.

All passengers are required to complete the online Travelers Health Declaration form prior to check-in and present the printed copy at the airport.

Passengers must complete the International Traveller form at https://ccmc.gov.np/ before departure and present a printed copy of the form with a barcode at check-in.

Passengers holding a pre-arranged tourist visa issued by the Embassy or the Consulate General of Nepal are permitted to enter the country. Visa on arrival facility is suspended.

All passengers who have been or transited through Brazil, South Africa and the United Kingdom must hold a confirmed mandatory government hotel booking for at least 5 days on arrival. The booking should be made in one of the listed hotels at https://ccmc.gov.np/arms/attachments/Quarantine_HotelsList.pdf. Passengers will be required to take a PCR test after 5 days at their own expense.

The above requirements are subject to change without prior notice. Please check the IATA Travel Centre website before your flight to get the latest updates on the requirements at the country you are travelling from and arriving to.
 
Posted on 04-04-21 4:24 PM     [Snapshot: 141]     Reply [Subscribe]
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Thanks Atiranjit for your info about cvs

I found the following info in cvs website, (FAQs section) we probably need PCR testing for trip to Nepal. Does anybody have experience with Lab testing locations of CVS that perform PCR testing (see number 2 below). If so how does it work, please tell us from your experience if you have used it for your trip to Nepal or similar other locations.

It says sometimes PCR tests may take more than 1-2 days during peak demand time to get the results, if that happens we could lose the flight to Nepal; any thoughts

What type of test is performed?

MinuteClinic uses two types of COVID-19 testing to check for active infection.

1. Rapid-result testing locations perform antigen testing, which returns results within hours.

2. Lab testing locations perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which typically returns results within 1-2 days (but may be longer in times of peak demand).

If you are getting your testing for a specific purpose such as travel, please ensure you are selecting the proper test required by your airline, destination or other requiring organization. Certain travel destinations and airlines do not accept rapid-result testing.


Wondering if you’ve been infected with COVID-19 in the past? MinuteClinic now offers COVID-19 antibody testing. This is a rapid test done through a finger stick blood sample that can detect the presence of COVID-19 antibodies in your bloodstream.
 
Posted on 04-04-21 5:44 PM     [Snapshot: 164]     Reply [Subscribe]
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I don't know which airport you are departing from. Check with them too, they may have rapid test available like recently Dulles Airport has open one as it was in the news.
 
Posted on 04-04-21 5:57 PM     [Snapshot: 181]     Reply [Subscribe]
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CVS test won’t work because it is rapid test. And the airport rapid test is costly. One of my friend paid $400 at the airport. Airport rapid test still takes 4 hours if you want to do it at airport.
For nepal they require rt-pcr. Let’s say If you flying on Saturday at 1 pm. You can take your test anytime on Wednesday. If the turn around time for test is 48 hours you can get it on Thursday as well. It depends on the lab for turn around time. Most of the state sponsored clinic do it for free. I did my test for both Wednesday and Thursday to be on safe side for my Saturday morning flight.

 
Posted on 04-04-21 6:07 PM     [Snapshot: 198]     Reply [Subscribe]
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I just went to Nepal 3 weeks back and came back. Did not have issue with cvs testing. If you are afraid of not getting the result within 2 days , get your test early and photoshop the date.
 
Posted on 04-04-21 6:55 PM     [Snapshot: 223]     Reply [Subscribe]
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@Atiranjeet: Really? My friend had to test at airport paying $400 each for himself and his wife a month ago because they had cvs rapid test as well. I don’t know man it keeps on changing I guess. If it is the case, Then I would suggest to do cvs rapid test on the flight date coz it only takes 15 min to get the result back. And also PCR within 72 hours window.
 
Posted on 04-04-21 7:17 PM     [Snapshot: 232]     Reply [Subscribe]
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The problem with rapid test is that it is prone to giving false results. Many countries have stopped using rapid test because they could not rely on the validity of its result. What if you get false rapid test result at the airport? What do you do? Cancel the flight? I think PCR test is more reliable.
 
Posted on 04-04-21 10:41 PM     [Snapshot: 198]     Reply [Subscribe]
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@nepaliautist- who said cvs test does not work? Whoever said that bring that to me. I went to Nepal on march 6th with cvs covid report. In nepal they even don't check your report properly. It's chaos at the airport.
 
Posted on 04-05-21 1:38 PM     [Snapshot: 466]     Reply [Subscribe]
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@Atiranjeet

Did you use rapid Antigen test or PCR test from CVS.


Please see below...

CVS MinuteClinic uses two types of COVID-19 testing to check for active infection.

1. Rapid-result testing locations perform antigen testing, which returns results within hours.

2. Lab testing locations perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which typically returns results within 1-2 days (but may be longer in times of peak demand).

You mentioned "In Nepal they even don't check your report properly. It's chaos at the airport."; I see that you probably got lucky; I think sometimes they check and if they check and found out that it only rapid Ag test report, we could get into trouble, or is it just a formality...
 
Posted on 04-05-21 1:51 PM     [Snapshot: 481]     Reply [Subscribe]
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My experience,
1. CVS only did RT>>Called Qatar>>they said they don't take RT>>find the local lab for PCR
2. Flight was on Saturday evening>>we did Wednesday>>the result came Thursday
3. All good in here >>Nepal wanted to place under 13 days quarantine (might have changed now)
4. Met some Nepalese at Airport (US), they did RT one wk prior , Staff did not care and let them fly. everyone was ordered quarantine in Nepal
5. Some did Thu/Friday >>PCR Report did not came on time so they did not fly and waited for another PCR test and flew
https://qatarairways.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011692857-What-is-a-COVID-19-PCR-test-

Good Luck
 
Posted on 04-05-21 2:31 PM     [Snapshot: 470]     Reply [Subscribe]
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@tallagheremaila

You are right, I will most likely be flying via Dulles Airport on Emirates

I saw the price list for Dulles Airport as below

1. PCR COVID Test or Blood Antibody Test $75 (Includes visit with medical provider)

2. PCR COVID Test and Blood Antibody Test $90 (Includes visit with medical provider)

3. External Lab Costs $50-100 (Depending on test ordered)

4. Rapid Molecular COVID Test $200 (Visit + on-site lab costs, prepayment only)

This is quite unclear, it names the same test twice and mentions two price and does not say which needs external lab cost (most likely PCR)

Does anyone know actual breakdown, cvs charges $175 for PCR, are there any better options ?
 
Posted on 04-06-21 11:21 AM     [Snapshot: 655]     Reply [Subscribe]
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@Nepal you keep on circling back to same questions. Just schedule a lab test with CVS, make sure its not rapid. Thats about it. No charge. Lots of people have used the CVS test for travels.
 
Posted on 04-08-21 5:46 AM     [Snapshot: 839]     Reply [Subscribe]
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As maxpayne said, you keep on circiling back with loong post!!
I travelled to Nepal during peak time (October/November), and had PCR test at CVS. They had mentioned 3-4 days online, and 4-6 days at the store. At that time, I got result within 48 hours. It was stressful to wait, however.
Just few weeks back, one of my friends also got PCR test at different location if CVS, and got result back in 48 hours.
You need RT PCR test to travel to Nepal. I believe it will take at least 1 day.
I do not know how you get a free test.
There are next day delivery test kits also you can order online and get result before travel. You have to avoid weekends for this.

 


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