Covid testing in HCMC?

Bangkokian1 wrote:

Hi everyone --

As part of travel regulations, I need to get a Covid test within 72 hours of my flight leaving HCMC next week.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where I can do that? (Preferably in District 2?)

If anyone has already done this, is there anything I need to know?

Thanks

This is a list provided by the Thai Embassy (Opens in Google Docs):

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/ … obilebasic

FV HOSPITAL
6 Nguyen Luong Bang St., Phu My Hung, Dist.7, HCMC.

Got my results the same day via email
Document was sent the next day

Bangkokian1 wrote:

Hi everyone --

As part of travel regulations, I need to get a Covid test within 72 hours of my flight leaving HCMC next week.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where I can do that? (Preferably in District 2?)

If anyone has already done this, is there anything I need to know?

Thanks

devarj57 wrote:

FV HOSPITAL
6 Nguyen Luong Bang St., Phu My Hung, Dist.7, HCMC.

Got my results the same day via email
Document was sent the next day

I'm pretty sure the price there is well over ₫2,000,000 VNĐ (2,7 million is the quote I recall).

I have an appointment tomorrow morning to have mine done at the
Public Health Institute:

VIỆN Y TẾ CÔNG CỘNG
159 Đường Hưng Phú
Phường 10, Quận 8
HCMC
iph.org.vn/
+84 028 3855 9503
Google Maps Link

Price quoted over the phone was ₫900,000 VNĐ with testing done at 8 AM having results ready the next morning after 10 AM.

Appointment necessary.

Not open on weekends.

Office is open for phone calls from 8 AM to 5 PM.

FV Hospital still "might" be a better option for people who don't speak any Vietnamese or use the Google Translate app well, and who have the resources to pay premium prices.

Another advantage is they will do the "fit to fly" exam required by the government of Thailand.

Public Health doesn't offer that.

I'll add a note when I can specifically talk about the results and the service.

Pasteur Institute in D3.

Huge difference in cost

In Ho Chi Minh City:
HCMC Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDC): Please call 0869-559-453 or email labo.hcdc@gmail.com for instructions.  Their listed COVID-19 testing fee is 734,000 VND.

FV Hospital: Please call (028) 5411-3333 for instructions.  Their listed COVID-19 testing fee is 3,400,000 VND.

Raffles Medical: Please contact their hotline (028) 3824 0777 for instructions.  Their listed COVID-19 testing fee is 4,510,000 VND

colinoscapee wrote:

Huge difference in cost

In Ho Chi Minh City:
HCMC Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDC): Please call 0869-559-453 or email labo.hcdc@gmail.com for instructions.  Their listed COVID-19 testing fee is 734,000 VND.

FV Hospital: Please call (028) 5411-3333 for instructions.  Their listed COVID-19 testing fee is 3,400,000 VND.

Raffles Medical: Please contact their hotline (028) 3824 0777 for instructions.  Their listed COVID-19 testing fee is 4,510,000 VND

HCDC has suspended Covid-19 tests for travelers as of Monday, 31 May.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/hcmc- … 85091.html

paulmsn wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Huge difference in cost

In Ho Chi Minh City:
HCMC Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDC): Please call 0869-559-453 or email labo.hcdc@gmail.com for instructions.  Their listed COVID-19 testing fee is 734,000 VND.

FV Hospital: Please call (028) 5411-3333 for instructions.  Their listed COVID-19 testing fee is 3,400,000 VND.

Raffles Medical: Please contact their hotline (028) 3824 0777 for instructions.  Their listed COVID-19 testing fee is 4,510,000 VND

HCDC has suspended Covid-19 tests for travelers as of Monday, 31 May.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/hcmc- … 85091.html

Maybe noteworthy that I had already seen that last night on the US Embassy website.

Whoever is working their covid-19 information page is certainly getting new information out there quickly

One site I read stated that there are around 20 places in Saigon to get the test done, not sure how accurate it is. The price varies greatly from 750k up to 4.5 million at places like Raffles.

colinoscapee wrote:

One site I read stated that there are around 20 places in Saigon to get the test done, not sure how accurate it is. The price varies greatly from 750k up to 4.5 million at places like Raffles.

That's apparently true, however my Vietnamese partner spent a couple of hours calling around to most of them to see if I could get an appointment there.

Many of them simply said no.

They didn't say "no foreigners", but that was the impression she got.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Bangkokian1 wrote:

Hi everyone --

As part of travel regulations, I need to get a Covid test within 72 hours of my flight leaving HCMC next week.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where I can do that? (Preferably in District 2?)

If anyone has already done this, is there anything I need to know?

Thanks

devarj57 wrote:

FV HOSPITAL
6 Nguyen Luong Bang St., Phu My Hung, Dist.7, HCMC.

Got my results the same day via email
Document was sent the next day

I'm pretty sure the price there is well over ₫2,000,000 VNĐ (2,7 million is the quote I recall).

I have an appointment tomorrow morning to have mine done at the
Public Health Institute:

VIỆN Y TẾ CÔNG CỘNG
159 Đường Hưng Phú
Phường 10, Quận 8
HCMC
iph.org.vn/
+84 028 3855 9503
Google Maps Link

Price quoted over the phone was ₫900,000 VNĐ with testing done at 8 AM having results ready the next morning after 10 AM.

Appointment necessary.

Not open on weekends.

Office is open for phone calls from 8 AM to 5 PM.

FV Hospital still "might" be a better option for people who don't speak any Vietnamese or use the Google Translate app well, and who have the resources to pay premium prices.

Another advantage is they will do the "fit to fly" exam required by the government of Thailand.

Public Health doesn't offer that.

I'll add a note when I can specifically talk about the results and the service.

I passed my test.

Perhaps the number one take away some people would remember about this place is "no air conditioning".

The Institute is on a campus for a full size Hospital.

You must walk up to the security gate where I used Google Translate to say that I was there to get a test for covid-19 and I had an appointment at 8:30 a.m.

It turns out this is the time that they give to everyone for an appointment and eventually about 15 other people showed up, all Vietnamese.

I was directed to walk across the internal road to what looks like a trolley stop, with one bench and two chairs socially distanced.

Unfortunately the morning sun shines directly on you and there is no protection from the little overhead "roof".

So I walked slightly away from there and stood underneath a big tree to get some shade.

Within about five minutes a woman came walking down the road toward me and gestured me to follow her.

We walked a short distance to a building where I was asked to sit on a chair at a desk underneath an overhang outside the building, out of the direct sun.

There were two forms to fill out; easy to understand with Vietnamese and English directions.

It's mandatory to declare your current address.

You need to know the ward and district and all of those specific designations of your address.

However, since I have officially moved out of my house in Hội An, I declared my hotel to be my current address, and I showed the Google Maps profile to the friendly woman (who spoke virtually no English) and she figured out all of the information for me.

Everyone at this place from the security guards at the gate to all of the people I later interacted with were very respectful and kind and helpful.

I then paid her ₫950,0VNĐ in cash.

She gave me a small receipt, which it's important to keep in order to pick up your test results the next day.

She also gave me the two forms which had been stamped by her and directed me to walk across that road to a single room that was open to the air.

Inside there, a man in full protective equipment directed me to sit in a chair.

He then gently prompted me to tilt back my head and open my mouth and he proceeded to very efficiently swab the right rear side of my throat (oropharyngeal swab).

Fortunately I've learned over the years how to breathe through my mouth during such a procedure, and I'm able to avoid any triggering of the gag reflex.

If you are a person who has big problems with the gag reflex, I encourage you to practice inhaling deep breaths through your mouth only to open up the back of your throat.

Otherwise he has tongue depressors readily available to force your throat open.

He then tilted my head back further and very gently but firmly introduced the long swab stick up my left nostril to an area that felt like it was very near my left eye (nasopharyngeal swab).

As a retired registered nurse, I really have to applaud him on his 100% efficient technique of getting up so far into my sinus passages.

But I will tell you I have never undergone a medical procedure that cause me greater discomfort.

I really wish there was a video of that.

It would be hilarious to me to see me doing everything I could to not buck him while my flip-flopped feet were flapping on the ground, creating a chaotic rhythm beat (me creating music?)

I walked back to the front gate where they had allowed my driver to enter the gates and he was waiting for me.

Yesterday morning I returned again at 10 a.m. and told the security guard that I was there to pick up my certificate of covid-19 testing.

He let me walk back to the building with the overhang by myself.

The same friendly woman was waiting there outside.

I gave her my receipt and within about two minutes she had secured my test results certificate from inside the building.

She had me double-check the certificate to make sure that all of my personal information had been printed properly.

According to the certificate, the test was actually run by the lab at 11 a.m. in the morning.

So if you are at all afraid that you might test positive for COVID-19, if the covid police have not arrived to take you away by about 6 p.m., I think you can sleep well.

Unfortunately I didn't have that little bit of information ahead of time and I have to say I had my worst night sleep in a very, very, VERY long time.

I had three copies of the certificate made.

It is a double-sided certificate.

I'll show the original to the Airlines and give them a copy if they need it, but I'm going to resist giving up the original until I have cleared customs and immigration in Los Angeles.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Bangkokian1 wrote:

Hi everyone --

As part of travel regulations, I need to get a Covid test within 72 hours of my flight leaving HCMC next week.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where I can do that? (Preferably in District 2?)

If anyone has already done this, is there anything I need to know?

Thanks

devarj57 wrote:

FV HOSPITAL
6 Nguyen Luong Bang St., Phu My Hung, Dist.7, HCMC.

Got my results the same day via email
Document was sent the next day

I'm pretty sure the price there is well over ₫2,000,000 VNĐ (2,7 million is the quote I recall).

I have an appointment tomorrow morning to have mine done at the
Public Health Institute:

VIỆN Y TẾ CÔNG CỘNG
159 Đường Hưng Phú
Phường 10, Quận 8
HCMC
iph.org.vn/
+84 028 3855 9503
Google Maps Link

Price quoted over the phone was ₫900,000 VNĐ with testing done at 8 AM having results ready the next morning after 10 AM.

Appointment necessary.

Not open on weekends.

Office is open for phone calls from 8 AM to 5 PM.

FV Hospital still "might" be a better option for people who don't speak any Vietnamese or use the Google Translate app well, and who have the resources to pay premium prices.

Another advantage is they will do the "fit to fly" exam required by the government of Thailand.

Public Health doesn't offer that.

I'll add a note when I can specifically talk about the results and the service.

I passed my test.

Perhaps the number one take away some people would remember about this place is "no air conditioning".

The Institute is on a campus for a full size Hospital.

You must walk up to the security gate where I used Google Translate to say that I was there to get a test for covid-19 and I had an appointment at 8:30 a.m.

It turns out this is the time that they give to everyone for an appointment and eventually about 15 other people showed up, all Vietnamese.

I was directed to walk across the internal road to what looks like a trolley stop, with one bench and two chairs socially distanced.

Unfortunately the morning sun shines directly on you and there is no protection from the little overhead "roof".

So I walked slightly away from there and stood underneath a big tree to get some shade.

Within about five minutes a woman came walking down the road toward me and gestured me to follow her.

We walked a short distance to a building where I was asked to sit on a chair at a desk underneath an overhang outside the building, out of the direct sun.

There were two forms to fill out; easy to understand with Vietnamese and English directions.

It's mandatory to declare your current address.

You need to know the ward and district and all of those specific designations of your address.

However, since I have officially moved out of my house in Hội An, I declared my hotel to be my current address, and I showed the Google Maps profile to the friendly woman (who spoke virtually no English) and she figured out all of the information for me.

Everyone at this place from the security guards at the gate to all of the people I later interacted with were very respectful and kind and helpful.

I then paid her ₫950,0VNĐ in cash.

She gave me a small receipt, which it's important to keep in order to pick up your test results the next day.

She also gave me the two forms which had been stamped by her and directed me to walk across that road to a single room that was open to the air.

Inside there, a man in full protective equipment directed me to sit in a chair.

He then gently prompted me to tilt back my head and open my mouth and he proceeded to very efficiently swab the right rear side of my throat (oropharyngeal swab).

Fortunately I've learned over the years how to breathe through my mouth during such a procedure, and I'm able to avoid any triggering of the gag reflex.

If you are a person who has big problems with the gag reflex, I encourage you to practice inhaling deep breaths through your mouth only to open up the back of your throat.

Otherwise he has tongue depressors readily available to force your throat open.

He then tilted my head back further and very gently but firmly introduced the long swab stick up my left nostril to an area that felt like it was very near my left eye (nasopharyngeal swab).

As a retired registered nurse, I really have to applaud him on his 100% efficient technique of getting up so far into my sinus passages.

But I will tell you I have never undergone a medical procedure that cause me greater discomfort.

I really wish there was a video of that.

It would be hilarious to me to see me doing everything I could to not buck him while my flip-flopped feet were flapping on the ground, creating a chaotic rhythm beat (me creating music?)

I walked back to the front gate where they had allowed my driver to enter the gates and he was waiting for me.

Yesterday morning I returned again at 10 a.m. and told the security guard that I was there to pick up my certificate of covid-19 testing.

He let me walk back to the building with the overhang by myself.

The same friendly woman was waiting there outside.

I gave her my receipt and within about two minutes she had secured my test results certificate from inside the building.

She had me double-check the certificate to make sure that all of my personal information had been printed properly.

According to the certificate, the test was actually run by the lab at 11 a.m. in the morning.

So if you are at all afraid that you might test positive for COVID-19, if the covid police have not arrived to take you away by about 6 p.m., I think you can sleep well.

Unfortunately I didn't have that little bit of information ahead of time and I have to say I had my worst night sleep in a very, very, VERY long time.

I had three copies of the certificate made.

It is a double-sided certificate.

I'll show the original to the Airlines and give them a copy if they need it, but I'm going to resist giving up the original until I have cleared customs and immigration in Los Angeles.

Great summery & guidance for anyone that has to get it done.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Bangkokian1 wrote:

Hi everyone --

As part of travel regulations, I need to get a Covid test within 72 hours of my flight leaving HCMC next week.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where I can do that? (Preferably in District 2?)

If anyone has already done this, is there anything I need to know?

Thanks

devarj57 wrote:

FV HOSPITAL
6 Nguyen Luong Bang St., Phu My Hung, Dist.7, HCMC.

Got my results the same day via email
Document was sent the next day

I'm pretty sure the price there is well over ₫2,000,000 VNĐ (2,7 million is the quote I recall).

I have an appointment tomorrow morning to have mine done at the
Public Health Institute:

VIỆN Y TẾ CÔNG CỘNG
159 Đường Hưng Phú
Phường 10, Quận 8
HCMC
iph.org.vn/
+84 028 3855 9503
Google Maps Link

Price quoted over the phone was ₫900,000 VNĐ with testing done at 8 AM having results ready the next morning after 10 AM.

Appointment necessary.

Not open on weekends.

Office is open for phone calls from 8 AM to 5 PM.

FV Hospital still "might" be a better option for people who don't speak any Vietnamese or use the Google Translate app well, and who have the resources to pay premium prices.

Another advantage is they will do the "fit to fly" exam required by the government of Thailand.

Public Health doesn't offer that.

I'll add a note when I can specifically talk about the results and the service.

I passed my test.

Perhaps the number one take away some people would remember about this place is "no air conditioning".

The Institute is on a campus for a full size Hospital.

You must walk up to the security gate where I used Google Translate to say that I was there to get a test for covid-19 and I had an appointment at 8:30 a.m.

It turns out this is the time that they give to everyone for an appointment and eventually about 15 other people showed up, all Vietnamese.

I was directed to walk across the internal road to what looks like a trolley stop, with one bench and two chairs socially distanced.

Unfortunately the morning sun shines directly on you and there is no protection from the little overhead "roof".

So I walked slightly away from there and stood underneath a big tree to get some shade.

Within about five minutes a woman came walking down the road toward me and gestured me to follow her.

We walked a short distance to a building where I was asked to sit on a chair at a desk underneath an overhang outside the building, out of the direct sun.

There were two forms to fill out; easy to understand with Vietnamese and English directions.

It's mandatory to declare your current address.

You need to know the ward and district and all of those specific designations of your address.

However, since I have officially moved out of my house in Hội An, I declared my hotel to be my current address, and I showed the Google Maps profile to the friendly woman (who spoke virtually no English) and she figured out all of the information for me.

Everyone at this place from the security guards at the gate to all of the people I later interacted with were very respectful and kind and helpful.

I then paid her ₫950,0VNĐ in cash.

She gave me a small receipt, which it's important to keep in order to pick up your test results the next day.

She also gave me the two forms which had been stamped by her and directed me to walk across that road to a single room that was open to the air.

Inside there, a man in full protective equipment directed me to sit in a chair.

He then gently prompted me to tilt back my head and open my mouth and he proceeded to very efficiently swab the right rear side of my throat (oropharyngeal swab).

Fortunately I've learned over the years how to breathe through my mouth during such a procedure, and I'm able to avoid any triggering of the gag reflex.

If you are a person who has big problems with the gag reflex, I encourage you to practice inhaling deep breaths through your mouth only to open up the back of your throat.

Otherwise he has tongue depressors readily available to force your throat open.

He then tilted my head back further and very gently but firmly introduced the long swab stick up my left nostril to an area that felt like it was very near my left eye (nasopharyngeal swab).

As a retired registered nurse, I really have to applaud him on his 100% efficient technique of getting up so far into my sinus passages.

But I will tell you I have never undergone a medical procedure that cause me greater discomfort.

I really wish there was a video of that.

It would be hilarious to me to see me doing everything I could to not buck him while my flip-flopped feet were flapping on the ground, creating a chaotic rhythm beat (me creating music?)

I walked back to the front gate where they had allowed my driver to enter the gates and he was waiting for me.

Yesterday morning I returned again at 10 a.m. and told the security guard that I was there to pick up my certificate of covid-19 testing.

He let me walk back to the building with the overhang by myself.

The same friendly woman was waiting there outside.

I gave her my receipt and within about two minutes she had secured my test results certificate from inside the building.

She had me double-check the certificate to make sure that all of my personal information had been printed properly.

According to the certificate, the test was actually run by the lab at 11 a.m. in the morning.

So if you are at all afraid that you might test positive for COVID-19, if the covid police have not arrived to take you away by about 6 p.m., I think you can sleep well.

Unfortunately I didn't have that little bit of information ahead of time and I have to say I had my worst night sleep in a very, very, VERY long time.

I had three copies of the certificate made.

It is a double-sided certificate.

I'll show the original to the Airlines and give them a copy if they need it, but I'm going to resist giving up the original until I have cleared customs and immigration in Los Angeles.

Here, discomfort is the norm. I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy both without any sedation.

I live in one of the areas where they are doing mass testing.  They inserted a swab in through the hole at the back of the nasal cavity and twisted it for a few seconds.  I didn't find it painful at all, I'd describe the feeling as unusual.  Hundreds of people got tested before me over the course of a few hours.  I saw a few dozen or so get tested first hand.  None of the adults reacted in pain.  A couple children cried a bit.  We were tested in an open air venue.

mtgmike wrote:

I live in one of the areas where they are doing mass testing.  They inserted a swab in through the hole at the back of the nasal cavity and twisted it for a few seconds.  I didn't find it painful at all, I'd describe the feeling as unusual.  Hundreds of people got tested before me over the course of a few hours.  I saw a few dozen or so get tested first hand.  None of the adults reacted in pain.  A couple children cried a bit.  We were tested in an open air venue.

Can you share what area you are in Mike?

Yeah, I'm in Go Vap.  My in-laws are in a different part of Go Vap and haven't been tested yet.  Testing appears to be going ward by ward within the district.

One quick question,  is this what they call PCR test,  or other names? What is it exactly? Thanks..

Swee Loke wrote:

One quick question,  is this what they call PCR test,  or other names? What is it exactly? Thanks..

Mine was what's called a rapid PCR.

I think every testing center here is doing that but I can't say that for sure

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Swee Loke wrote:

One quick question,  is this what they call PCR test,  or other names? What is it exactly? Thanks..

Mine was what's called a rapid PCR.

I think every testing center here is doing that but I can't say that for sure

Did I read somewhere that for Thailand you needed 2 different tests or 2 certificates or something?

mtgmike wrote:

Yeah, I'm in Go Vap.  My in-laws are in a different part of Go Vap and haven't been tested yet.  Testing appears to be going ward by ward within the district.

Thanks for update, I am just up the road in Tan Phu & as far as I know there is no lock down here but just up the road in D12 my old apartment block is in lock down. What they are saying there is that level 2 & 3 is where the infections are & if all other levels check out negative they will just lock down levels 2 & 3 & in about a week the other levels can get back to sort of normal anyways.
Today I passed Vincom Supermarket (used to be MaxiMark) on Kong Hoa & its all shuttered up!

goodolboy wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Swee Loke wrote:

One quick question,  is this what they call PCR test,  or other names? What is it exactly? Thanks..

Mine was what's called a rapid PCR.

I think every testing center here is doing that but I can't say that for sure

Did I read somewhere that for Thailand you needed 2 different tests or 2 certificates or something?

For Thailand you need a PCR test and a "Fit to Fly" certificate.

Thai Embassy website has a link to a list of places in HCMC that provide both.