Birmingham, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, coronavirus, COVID-19 — CDC’s laboratory test kit for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Photo via CDC’s website

Testing for Coronavirus (COVID-19) is available throughout Alabama, through the Alabama Department of Public Health and several private facilities. Here’s everything you need to know about testing for Coronavirus in Birmingham.

And as always, wash your hands!

First—The Symptoms

Screen Shot 2020 03 16 at 8.58.15 AM How to get tested for COVID-19 in Birmingham — Symptoms of COVID-19. Photo via Centers for Disease Control

Since testing resources are scarce nationwide, it’s important to not waste supplies. So, before heading to one of Birmingham’s testing facilities, give your healthcare provider a call and explain your symptoms.

If you do not have a healthcare provider, please call 1.888.264.2256.

“Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.”
World Health Organization

1. Downtown Birmingham Testing

Screen Shot 2020 03 23 at 2.24.39 PM How to get tested for COVID-19 in Birmingham — The testing site in downtown Birmingham. Photo via Nathan Watson for Bham Now

Location: The corner of University Boulevard and 22nd Street South.
Call hours: 7AM to 7PM, seven days a week
Testing hours: 9AM to 11:15AM, seven days a week

Birmingham-area hospitals, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Jefferson County Department of Health have teamed up to offer testing for COVID-19 (Coronavirus) starting Monday, March 23.

Patients must first call 205.975.1881 to be screen by a provider and schedule an appointment.

Learn more.

In addition, experts from UAB have launched a Coronavirus Symptom Tracker to improve disease tracking across the South.

2. Alabama Department of Public Health

Contact: 800.252.1818 | Website | Facebook | Instagram

The easiest way to get tested for Coronavirus in Birmingham is through your personal healthcare provider. First, give them a call. Then follow their instructions.

During the test, your healthcare provider will take a swab from the nose, just like for the flu. Then, the test will be shipped to the State Lab, where testing kits provided by the CDC will check for the virus. Since the State Lab has the capacity to test up to 150 kits a day, your results should be back within 24-72 hours.

3. Southview Medical

Contact: 205.933.4640 | Website | Facebook

Southview Medical group are treating 500 patients a day through video conferencing and telemedicine.

4. Assurance Scientific Labratories

Address: 3660 Grandview Parkway, Birmingham AL 35243
Hours: Line starts 6:30AM, testing begins at 9AM, starting Wednesday, March 18
Contact: 205.273.9424 | Website | Facebook

Assurance Drive-Thru labs offers drive-through testing starting 6:30AM starting Wednesday, March 18 at Church of the Highlands Grant Mill Campus at 4700 Highlands Way. They will NOT have testing at Acton Road, Memorial Drive or Church of the Highlands Grandview locations.

Assurance Scientific Laboratories will accept all major insurances, Medicare and Medicaid—and, they also have established a fund to help the uninsured, so no one will be turned away.

5. Urgent Care for Children

Contact: 205.848.CARE | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Urgent Care for Children is now able to perform curbside COVID-19 testing for patients ages 0 to 21 in any of their five locations throughout Alabama. These tests will then be sent to a third-party lab, and results will typically be available within 24 hours.

“The latest medical evidence shows that children are less symptomatic with COVID-19 than adults. Children can become infected and pass the virus to adults, particularly the elderly population, in whom the symptoms are much more severe”
Dr. Allury Arora, Chief Medical Officer, Urgent Care For Children