My experience -5 proctored Covid tests in one day

[kateg]

We (me and 4 teenagers) did 5 eMed proctored BinaxNow tests yesterday and I wanted to share our experience.

 

I ordered the tests about 6 weeks before the day we needed them and they came quickly but not overnight…it was about 3 days.

 

I did my test first before the kids were awake.  My experience wasn’t great.  I struggled to understand my proctor.  At one point she was telling me to do “something something like a lollipop” and that really threw me.  It took me about a minute to understand she wanted me to hold the QR code in front of the camera.  At about the 7 min mark of the timer my video feed went black and I panicked.  I said (assuming someone was watching the test) "hey hey my screen went black what’s going on".  No one answered.  I worried for the next 8 min until the proctor came back.  It’s obvious no one is really watching the test strip….and when the proctored returned (my audio was fine) she scolded me for “turning off my camera” then she said I must have bad internet etc.  I was freaking out a little thinking my test was now invalid.  Surprisingly they continued the process-they “reactivated” the camera and gave me a negative result.

 

I was still worried about the camera issue so I called customer service for help and all they would say is “your internet isn’t good your computer is old” etc.  But I have AT&T fiber, it was working fine- and the laptop is my sons laptop that he uses at college and he is a computer science major…so my set up was fine. I was frustrated that customer service just seemed to read a script and repeat the same answer over and over. 

 

Thankfully my  son discovered that after inactivity (I was afraid to touch anything during the 15 min timer) the video stream stops…so from that point forward we made sure to wiggle mouse around every few minutes and we had no further issues with the video feed.  

 

The most interesting part was listening to so many proctors… some were very good and explained the process well and listened and helped.  Others just read through their script so fast and didn’t really interact with the test taker.  I had already explained the process to the kids so they knew what to do-that helped a lot.  I think it would be better if the proctor would just say things like  "hold up the QR code so I can scan it"-vs the way they said it… although I think one proctor did say "I need to scan the QR code" but one one.  They all followed the same script almost verbatim.

 

My take away is that YMMV depending on the proctor you get.  We never waited more than a few seconds to be connected to a proctor.  But the testing itself…especially my test…seems very sketchy.  We had all self-tested ourselves earlier this week…so we feel confident our negative results are accurate.  But I can definitely understand why there is a lot of Covid on the ships-this testing has a lot of room for error.  Doing it at home was easy.  I did order through eMed directly, not through Royal, and the cost was a little better. 

[Ptroxx]

Your delivery took 3 days because your on the east coast and they come from the west coast Los Angela’s.    
I get 3 orders in Vegas over night.     
did you watch any YouTube videos prior to the test so you knew what to expect?    
It helped me out a lot watching a very good video.  
 

as for the language issues.   That’s why watching the videos before kinda helped.     I’ve  personally taken 4 tests since January.   
 

here’s a very good video of the test I watched being done live for others that may need it.  
 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Ptroxx

[BND]

They're not watching your test while it processes, but they are recording all of it.

 

DH and I did ours in the morning two days before our cruise. DH at 6 am and me at 7 am.  Both proctors were very clear and the testing was very, very easy.  Something I did before we got online was set my snooze/sleep to two hours so there was no chance the screen would go to sleep.

Edited May 27, 2022 by BND

[h20skibum]

We have done 12 of the proctored tests now, without problems.  All done using iPhones on a mini tripod, which really helps.  
 

Just test your WiFi strength ahead of time, and change phone settings so it never goes to sleep.  Just make sure to change the setting back after the test. 

[Italy52]

10 minutes ago, BND said:

They're not watching your test while it processes, but they are recording all of it.

 

DH and I did ours in the morning two days before our cruise. DH at 6 am and me at 7 am.  Both proctors were very clear and the testing was very, very easy.  Something I did before we got online was set my snooze/sleep to two hours so there was no chance the screen would go to sleep.

Very interesting.  Do you know is there a place on the phone (Android) that can be set so it does not "time out"?

[BND]

3 minutes ago, Italy52 said:

Very interesting.  Do you know is there a place on the phone (Android) that can be set so it does not "time out"?

 I used my laptop.  Very easy.  But, on my Google Pixel 6 which is an Android phone I just found you can extend the screen timeout to 30 min.  Go into "setttings", then "display" then "screen timeout".  

Edited May 27, 2022 by BND

[Italy52]

17 minutes ago, BND said:

 I used my laptop.  Very easy.  But, on my Google Pixel 6 which is an Android phone I just found you can extend the screen timeout to 30 min.  Go into "setttings", then "display" then "screen timeout".  

Thank you for your help, I appreciate it.  Since we will be testing at a hotel, we will be using our phone -- great tip, thanks for sharing.

 

*** Unfortunately, the longest time on my "screen timeout" is 10 minutes --- ugh.

Edited May 27, 2022 by Italy52
Follow-up information

[gfkcruiser]

Did our first emed tests last week from hotel lobby in Italy - in the company ic many other testers.  Proctor was very clear with instructions.  “ Hold up to rear camera “ etc for the scans.  
Do need to be sure your device won’t time out from no movement while doing test.  
 

 

[Travel R]

Thank you for all of the tips.  We have received our kits, and I have scheduled the appointments (we will be taking the tests at the hotel in a little more than a month).

 

I have unfortunately had to take many in-person tests these past few months, but have also taken the drive-up test which also requires you to listen to instructions through a microphone. However, I will be sure to watch the video (and pass it on to my family).

 

Thanks all!

[Kellie in Texas]

@Ptroxxthat is a great video; thanks for posting it.  I'm one of those people who wants to know every detail ahead of time, so it was very helpful.

 

One question:  I will create an account with Navica ahead of time.  There will be four of us doing the eMed test prior to flying back to Texas from Vancouver.  Can I use the same email address for all four of us?  And one more question:  If you use the Navica app and get the QR code with your results, then you would show your phone to the agent, right?  I guess I'm wondering about the difference between the app and the resulting QR code vs. using a laptop and getting an email.  Seems like using a laptop would be easier to get your face and the test both in the picture. 

[gfkcruiser]

6 minutes ago, Kellie in Texas said:

@Ptroxxthat is a great video; thanks for posting it.  I'm one of those people who wants to know every detail ahead of time, so it was very helpful.

 

One question:  I will create an account with Navica ahead of time.  There will be four of us doing the eMed test prior to flying back to Texas from Vancouver.  Can I use the same email address for all four of us?  And one more question:  If you use the Navica app and get the QR code with your results, then you would show your phone to the agent, right?  I guess I'm wondering about the difference between the app and the resulting QR code vs. using a laptop and getting an email.  Seems like using a laptop would be easier to get your face and the test both in the picture. 

I used my email address for my DH and added him as another person or however they phrased.  He had left his phone at home and would not have been able to retrieve results so this worked fine. 

[Ptroxx]

8 minutes ago, Kellie in Texas said:

@Ptroxxthat is a great video; thanks for posting it.  I'm one of those people who wants to know every detail ahead of time, so it was very helpful.

 

One question:  I will create an account with Navica ahead of time.  There will be four of us doing the eMed test prior to flying back to Texas from Vancouver.  Can I use the same email address for all four of us?  And one more question:  If you use the Navica app and get the QR code with your results, then you would show your phone to the agent, right?  I guess I'm wondering about the difference between the app and the resulting QR code vs. using a laptop and getting an email.  Seems like using a laptop would be easier to get your face and the test both in the picture. 

Not sure about the addresses sorry. 
I used my iPhone with a tiny gorilla tripod.  So no experience with a laptop.  
 

[taymiss2]

I am curious if there an advantage to purchasing eMed tests instead of using the government issued ones?  I am planning to use the government ones but did not jump on it when I first looked into  how to have them proctored.   They were sold out then back in stock and now sold out again.  Obviously it is an advantage to have proctored appointments not be sold out.  I guess eMed will be my back up if the other proctored appoints do not becoming available to schedule an appointment in the next week or two. Our ship sails on July 1st. 

On another note my husband actually has Covid now after going on his first business trip in over 2 years.   Came back with Covid.  Doesn't it just figure.    So far I am negative.  I am so nervous I will be positive in a few weeks and not be able to cruise.   Going to have to bubble wrap myself about 2 weeks in advance. 

[BecciBoo]

We bought them as insurance, but good ole Walgreens has never failed us!  So they are sitting in a drawer, totally expired and useless as I speak.  So easy to just drive through Walgreens go home wait an hour and we're done.

[Ptroxx]

12 minutes ago, taymiss2 said:

I am curious if there an advantage to purchasing eMed tests instead of using the government issued ones?  I am planning to use the government ones but did not jump on it when I first looked into  how to have them proctored.   They were sold out then back in stock and now sold out again.  Obviously it is an advantage to have proctored appointments not be sold out.  I guess eMed will be my back up if the other proctored appoints do not becoming available to schedule an appointment in the next week or two. Our ship sails on July 1st. 

On another note my husband actually has Covid now after going on his first business trip in over 2 years.   Came back with Covid.  Doesn't it just figure.    So far I am negative.  I am so nervous I will be positive in a few weeks and not be able to cruise.   Going to have to bubble wrap myself about 2 weeks in advance. 

Test needs to be proctored.    The ones the government sent arent.  They are home personal tests.  

[Biker19]

17 minutes ago, taymiss2 said:

I am curious if there an advantage to purchasing eMed tests instead of using the government issued ones? 

You need to add ($15-25) a proctoring service to them - the correct eMed ones include them.

[Ptroxx]

11 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

We bought them as insurance, but good ole Walgreens has never failed us!  So they are sitting in a drawer, totally expired and useless as I speak.  So easy to just drive through Walgreens go home wait an hour and we're done.

So you had to drive to Walmart.  Drive home.  And wait,  rather than just sitting in the kitchen and taking the proctored test and get your results right away Lol.   
I had tests set up at CVS. But decided to just do it home and use the Emed tests and sit home and be done rather than drive around town and get tested and drive home and sit and wait for results.   
 

To each their own I guess. 

 

still have a few tests left that are good till nov 22.  

[GTO-Girl]

43 minutes ago, Kellie in Texas said:

@Ptroxxthat is a great video; thanks for posting it.  I'm one of those people who wants to know every detail ahead of time, so it was very helpful.

 

One question:  I will create an account with Navica ahead of time.  There will be four of us doing the eMed test prior to flying back to Texas from Vancouver.  Can I use the same email address for all four of us?  And one more question:  If you use the Navica app and get the QR code with your results, then you would show your phone to the agent, right?  I guess I'm wondering about the difference between the app and the resulting QR code vs. using a laptop and getting an email.  Seems like using a laptop would be easier to get your face and the test both in the picture. 

We each set up (ahead of time) our account in NAVICA.  When we are ready to do our test we don’t scan the test kit….we just log into Emed and they take care of getting us connected to NAVICA.

 

We use our iPhones and just prop them up against some books on the dining room table, which works perfectly…

[BecciBoo]

32 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

So you had to drive to Walmart.  Drive home.  And wait,  rather than just sitting in the kitchen and taking the proctored test and get your results right away Lol.   

 

 

Inconvenience, just the opposite, we always are in town before cruises so we just stopped by got the test and drove back home with our groceries, no worries, by the time we got home they had already emailed us with result.  Not a problem at all for us.  And it was Walgreens.  You do you.  Oh, did I mention that was free!  Our Emed tests were not! So they sit in the drawer a waste of $$.  We done 2 cruises after Covid, no problem at all.

Edited May 27, 2022 by BecciBoo

[Ptroxx]

24 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

Inconvenience, just the opposite, we always are in town before cruises so we just stopped by got the test and drove back home with our groceries, no worries, by the time we got home they had already emailed us with result.  Not a problem at all for us.  And it was Walgreens.  You do you.  Oh, did I mention that was free!  Our Emed tests were not! So they sit in the drawer a waste of $$.  We done 2 cruises after Covid, no problem at all.

That’s why I said to each their own. I do me and you do you.     
I usually don’t buy groceries right before I take a trip.   I usually try and empty my fridge out.   Lol. 
 

was it really free.   yes I paid paid for mine.  I also didn’t waste and gas driving around to CVS/Walgreens. To get tested. 
as long as youre happy wasting that money on those  emed tests more power to ya.    🍻

 

[Kellie in Texas]

54 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

We each set up (ahead of time) our account in NAVICA.  When we are ready to do our test we don’t scan the test kit….we just log into Emed and they take care of getting us connected to NAVICA.

 

We use our iPhones and just prop them up against some books on the dining room table, which works perfectly…

@GTO-Girlwere you able to use the same email address for each of you? (just register each person individually?)

[GTO-Girl]

1 hour ago, Kellie in Texas said:

@GTO-Girlwere you able to use the same email address for each of you? (just register each person individually?)

It is just my husband and I so we each set up different accounts with our own email.  I am sure we could have used only one….

[furloughedagain]

Could you explain how eMed works with NAVICA as opposed to scanning the box? I’m a little confused. Thank you!

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

Inconvenience, just the opposite, we always are in town before cruises so we just stopped by got the test and drove back home with our groceries, no worries, by the time we got home they had already emailed us with result.  Not a problem at all for us.  And it was Walgreens.  You do you.  Oh, did I mention that was free!  Our Emed tests were not! So they sit in the drawer a waste of $$.  We done 2 cruises after Covid, no problem at all.

 

Our preferred method as well. Our original batch of eMed tests expired before I actually needed them. 

 

Just easier to go to Walgreens 

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, Ptroxx said:

That’s why I said to each their own. I do me and you do you.     
I usually don’t buy groceries right before I take a trip.   I usually try and empty my fridge out.   Lol. 
 

was it really free.   yes I paid paid for mine.  I also didn’t waste and gas driving around to CVS/Walgreens. To get tested. 
as long as youre happy wasting that money on those  emed tests more power to ya.    🍻

 

 

Done about 10 times all free. Well, to me at least 😉

 

So that's around $400 in my pocket😁

Edited May 27, 2022 by John&LaLa