All patients will receive a shallow nasal swab test, which will be performed by a clinician. The swab test is less invasive, reaching only into the lower nostril. Finally, although vaccine manufacturers normally wait until a vaccine is approved before they begin mass production, instead the manufacturers began to make the vaccines months beforehand so that there were supplies available as soon as vaccines were approved.

Depending on the volume of tests performed, you should receive your test results within three days. If your test is positive, you will be contacted by a clinician with further information and instructions on what to do. If your test is negative, a representative also will call you with your results.

Yes, this is a free testing event. You will not be charged.

No, this is not a rapid test. As noted above, it will take three days to receive your results. This timing is dependent on the volume of tests performed.

Yes, your results are completely confidential. We will share our testing data with the Broad Institute in Cambridge, MA, which is supplying the test kits and completing the results on behalf of the state of Massachusetts’ “Stop the Spread” initiative. Through the state’s Maven system, the Worcester Department of Public Health will have access to these results for the purpose of contract tracing.

You do not need an appointment to receive a test. These are walk-up testing events. No preregistration or appointments are needed.