If you have COVID-19 symptoms or would like to get tested, contact your health care provider. Health plans are required to cover COVID-19 tests. If you do not have a health care provider, call 2-1-1. If you have serious symptoms, like difficulty breathing, call 9-1-1. If you are unable to get a test from your health care provider the following options are available.
Free COVID-19 testing is available through the County of San Diego. Most testing locations do not require an appointment and results generally come back in about one or two days.
If your test was not completed at a County of San Diego testing site, you will need to contact the agency or service provider that performed your test.
Results from County-coordinated testing sites generally come back in approximately 1-2 days. If you have not received an e-mail or call with your results 4 calendar days after the day you were tested, you may submit a test result inquiry online. While waiting for your test results, continue to monitor your health and take steps to protect yourself and others.
For more information on testing, visit the County website.
If you have been diagnosed with, or are likely to have COVID-19, taking steps to protect yourself and others will help end this pandemic. Because you have a virus that can easily spread to others, not only is it important that you separate yourself from others and self-isolate, it is also mandated by the County of San Diego Public Health Officer Order.
The State of California is also sponsoring other testing locations. Appointments are required. If you need help or have questions, call the State testing hotline at 888-634-1123 from 7:00am – 7:00pm, Monday-Friday.
A COVID-19 self-test is a rapid test (also referred to as home tests or over-the-counter (OTC) tests) that you can do at home and get results within 15-30 minutes. Self-tests can be purchased in stores, pharmacies, and online. Visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website for a list of authorized tests.
A home collection kit is another option that can be purchased over the counter. A sample is collected at home and sent to a lab for processing.
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order #4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.
If you have difficulty accessing the internet or need additional support placing an order, you can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to get help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages – 8 a.m. to midnight ET, 7 days a week.