Updated content February 5, 2022:
What’s New with COVID-19 Testing?
The Mid-Michigan District Health Department, which serves Gratiot, Clinton, and Montcalm counties, announced that many local Meijer stores in the are now offering a “rapid” PCR Covid 19 test. These are Nucleic Acid Amplification Test, or NAAT (read more…)
Find a COVID-19 PCR test near you
These local Meijer stores include the Michigan stores in our local area around Sacred Heart Mercy Health Care Center. Pre-registration is required; see the links below:
Meijer Pharmacy #270 (Rapid Molecular NAAT Test)
2805 West Cheesman Rd., Alma
Meijer Inc #243 (Rapid Molecular NAAT Test)
40445 S. Groesbeck Hwy., Clinton Twp.
Meijer Inc #209 (Rapid Molecular NAAT Test)
12821 Crossover Dr., Dewitt
Meijer Inc #69 (Rapid Molecular NAAT Test)
1015 Pickard Street, Mt. Pleasant
Other Michigan locations include Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, and East Lansing plus many more areas around the state of Michigan.
See other Michigan locations and locations in other states.
This information comes from the Mid-Michigan District Health Department e-Newsletter, which contains a link to the eTrueNorth Website.
COVID-19 Testing
This program is part of the public-private partnership announced on March 13, 2020. eTrueNorth is working with HHS, state and local officials, and pharmacy and lab partners to open testing sites in areas of need.
The test is FREE to those individuals being tested. Testing follows CDC Guidelines to determine eligibility. Click here for a description of the different kinds of tests for COVID-19.
Please note that certain states have a minimum age testing requirement. Check the site page for your testing location for details on age requirements, test types and schedule.[i]
What is the difference between a “rapid” PCR test and a “rapid” antigen test? PCR tests, by their nature, tend to be more sensitive and accurate than rapid antigen tests.
See our previous article on the difference between tests:
I Am Sick – Which COVID Test Do I Need?
How PCR tests work:[ii]
An infographic overview of “molecular testing” for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR
More information on SARS-CoV-2 testing
[i] eTrueNorth. “Do i Need a Covid-19 Test?” Do I Need a COVID-19 Test? Accessed September 19, 2021. https://www.doineedacovid19test.com/.
[ii] Biochemlife. “An Infographic Overview of ‘Molecular Testing’ for SARS-CoV-2 Using RT-PCR.” WikiMedia Commons, November 27, 2020. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RT-PCR_coronavirus_tests.png.
Posted September 18, 2021
