Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

Two Local Options for COVID-19 Testing

Testing lab at UltimateDX on Larchmont Blvd. (Photo provided by UltiateDX)

Most people are now aware of LA County’s COVID-19 testing program, and that you can sign up at that link for a free test to find out if you have an active infection. There are more than 130 test sites across the metro area – most are drive-through, but some walk-ups are available – and priority is still given to people experiencing active symptoms and front-line workers who interact with the public.

But although the County test sites are pretty numerous, none of them are in our immediate neighborhood, and every now and then we hear someone ask about places to get tested closer to home,  without the long lines that often form at the County sites, and without the multi-day wait times for results.

For those situations, it turns out there are at least two private test sites right on or just adjacent to Larchmont Blvd. – Ultimate DX, at 516 N. Larchmont Blvd., and Hollywood Urgent Care, at 5717 Melrose Ave. (just west of Larchmont).

 

UltimateDX

Banner outside UltimateDX’s Larchmont lab, announcing its new COVID-19 testing service.
Sean Tabibian, CEO of UltimateDX (Photo provided by UltimateDX)

According to Ultimate DX CEO Sean Tabibian, the facility – which has been operating quietly on Larchmont for five years now – is a full-service “high-complexity and infectious disease laboratory,” which can test for a full spectrum of infectious diseases.  But the facility also started offering nasal, oral and saliva tests for COVID-19 last week, using an FDA-EUA-approved test that it developed, and is now concentrating on that business.  Tabibian told the Buzz that the lab contracts with law enforcement and first-responder agencies, hospitals, entertainment companies, studios, and more, and processes between 2,000 and 5,000 COVID-19 tests per day.  Most of the tests are delivered to the lab from other sites, but about 150-200 individuals – including local residents – also walk in each day, with either an outside doctor’s referral or with paperwork from a doctor referral service also provided by UltimateDX.  And once a patient arrives with paperwork in hand, the whole visit can be completed – in and out – in less than a minute, with results provided in less than 24 hours.

Address: 516 N. Larchmont Blvd.
Phone:  (800) 799-7248
E-Mail: [email protected]
Appointment needed:  Walk-in tests available with proper paperwork
Price:  $150 with outside doctor referral; $225 including referral from UltimateDX referral service
Insurance accepted:  No
Test types:  Nasal, oral, saliva
Turnaround time for results:  Less than 24 hours

 

Hollywood Urgent Care

This facility, which is part of the larger Urgent Med Network chain of urgent care clinics, has been serving the neighborhood for many years, and offers a full range of urgent care medical services including examinations, testing, and non-surgical procedures.  For COVID-19, according to its website, it offers both antigen (current infection) testing and antibody testing to check for evidence of past infections or exposure to COVID-19.  Both rapid (mid-nasal cavity swab) and traditional (deep nasopharyngeal swab) antigen tests are available.

Address:  5717 Melrose Ave.
Phone:  (323) 957-2273
Appointment Needed:  Walk-ins welcome up to 30 minutes before closing
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 am- 8 pm; Weekends, 9 am-5 pm
Parking:  Free, on-site
Price:  $125 for a rapid test; traditional tests may be covered by insurance
Insurance accepted:  No for rapid test; yes for traditional test
Test types:  Rapid (mid-nasal swab), traditional (deep nasopharyngeal swab)
Turnaround time for results:  20 minutes for rapid infection test; 2-6 days for full traditional infection test, 1-5 days for antibody tests, depending on test used

 

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Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN but has lived in LA since 1991 - with deep roots in both the Sycamore Square and West Adams Heights-Sugar Hill neighborhoods. She spent 10 years with the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, volunteers at Wilshire Crest Elementary School, and has been writing for the Buzz since 2015.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. I went to Ultimate DX and paid the $225, it’s been almost 30 hours with no test results and I have not been able to get ahold of anyone via phone (it says the mailbox is full) and received no response via email.

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