My Swab Test Experience

If you have COVID-19 symptoms within the past two weeks and want to get tested, I might have some information you are looking for.

This is my experience with the Chinese General Hospital’s walk-in RT-PCR test or what everyone knows as the swab test.

The testing area is open 24/7 and located on the second floor of the building to the right of the main one if you’re facing the hospital from Blumentritt Road.

The first thing you’ll do is fill out forms, a lot of them. So make sure you bring your own ballpen. No one will share theirs, I assume.

Aside from writing the usual personal information, make sure you have the contact details of people you interacted with (e.g., household members) and temperature reading of your fever if you had one. Remember to bring a valid ID and a doctor’s referral. If your doctor’s referral is digital, you’ll be asked to email it to the lab.

The staff will check if the information they needed from you is complete. If everything’s fine, they will provide you the invoice and you will be asked to proceed to the cashier. I didn’t confirm, but it looks like they accept Paymaya and credit card payments. The regular price of the RT-PCR test is Php 4,000. But since I am a Philhealth member, I only paid Php 591.

I then proceeded to the swab testing area, wherein I was interviewed briefly by the staff. A handful of people queued up for the swab test, but I didn’t have to wait long. On my turn, I was swabbed in my mouth and both of my nostrils (oronasal swab).

All done! There’s nothing else to do but to go home and wait. I went around 10:40 PM and was done in an hour.

The results are expected to be released within 72 hours, but I got my results after only 15 hours! I can now enjoy my holidays without worrying if I’m infecting my family. 🎄