Putting this at the top because I think it's important, but my test was FREE. I do not know if the CVS sites are free as well, but mine was.

Over the weekend I felt pretty miserable. Talked to one of those virtual doctor visits via my insurance and was told I should probably get tested. I went out this morning and got tested, and here's what my experience was like. (I do not know how the experience is different if I had others that need to get tested)

I initially went to this website:

https://publichealth.harriscountytx.gov/Resources/2019-Novel-Coronavirus/COVID-19-Testing-Information

...and decided to get tested at one of the drive-in test sites, specifically the stadium site on the NW side. I signed up, and immediately got a confirmation number, and email confirming it. My testing time was 6AM-8AM this morning. I printed out the confirmation number as a precaution (I would suggest printing it out, more on that later).

I drove to the site stadium where the testing was taking place, and the way I tried to drive in was all blocked off. I did a long loop around and finally found the entrance. There was a line of cars with a few tents set up in front. I personally showed up 10 minutes early, and there were already about 14 cars there. The lines moved at a moderate pace. Here's what you should do to prepare:

1. Get your Photo ID out.

2. Have your printout of the confirmation # ready, OR have your phone ready with the confirmation #.

Once you get up to the tents, KEEP YOUR WINDOW ROLLED UP. They will ask to see your confirmation # through the window. They can read it off your phone, but obviously it's easier from a printout. Next they will ask to see your photo ID. Finally they will confirm your phone number. The entire point is to be hands off and not near the employees.

They put my test information in a plastic bag, and put it underneath my windshield wiper. They then waved me on after confirming my name once more. I drove through more cones up to another line of cars in front of two rows of tents. Driving under the tents, you must be physically close enough to be able to get a brown paper bag with the test inside (this will be on the left side of your car). So make sure you are far enough to the left to get the bag without getting out of your car if you can.

Pulling up, the nurse/doctor/employee there checked to see my ID one more time. Then they walked away and told me to roll down my window. Hanging on the aforementioned plastic container was a brown paper bag stapled with a piece of paper. I rolled down my window and grabbed the two items and rolled my window back up. This bag had two things: A plastic tube with a fluid. A plastic bag with a nose swab. I had to take out the nose swab, shove it way up in my nose and stir it around deeply for 15 seconds. It will not feel good!

My girlfriend is a nurse, and she had told me when she got the test (she is fine, not covid positive!) they shoved it WAY UP her nostrils. So when I did my own test, I did my best to push it up there and do full rotations to swab both nostrils thoroughly.

I then opened the tube, dropped the swab in, cloth side down into the liquid, and put the lid back on. They asked me to put the empty plastic bag inside the paper bag and crumple the paper bag up. Finally I had to roll my window down again and put both crumpled paper bag & the plastic tube (with the test inside) back into the plastic tub container.

Finally they said I would get a phone call in 7-9 days (damn!) with my results. The piece of paper I was given indicated that I could also check the results via web page.

So overall, a straight forward process. Start to finish, it took about 30 minutes, but I got there very early, so if the line is longer, this will take longer. The main difficulty was understanding what to do at each step of the process. Also I'm not thrilled that it will be 7-9 days for results.