Covid 19 or Corona as we commonly know it ,is a pandemic that originated from Wuhan town in China in December 2019 and quickly spread across the world infecting and killing millions of people.
In March 2020, WHO declared it a pandemic and countries started taking the necessary measures such as closing borders to protect their citizens but it was a case of too little too late as the disease had already spread widely.
Since then, countries have established testing centres to test for coronavirus with the aim of detecting the disease early so as to help curb its spread by placing the sick on quarantine and treating them as soon as the Covid test comes back positive.
Below is a list of Covid testing centres in Nairobi and the price charged for the Covid test.
Covid 19 testing centres in Nairobi
| Covid Testing Hospital | Covid Test Price | Contact |
| Nairobi Hospital | Ksh 8,000.00 | 0703082000 |
| Nairobi West | Ksh 6,000.00 | 0755952433 |
| Amref Medical Centre | Ksh 5,700.00 | 0110850138 |
| Aga Khan Hospital | Ksh 7,500.00 | 0709931700 |
| Lancet Laboratories | Ksh 6,500.00 | 0729 111110 |
| Nairobi South Hospital | Ksh 6,000.00 | 0205145300 |
| KU Teaching Refferal Hospital | Ksh 3,000.00 | 0710642513 / 0780900519 |
| Medanta Africare | Ksh 10,000.00 | 0732109100 |
| Kenyatta National Hospital | Ksh 5,000.00 | 0709854000 /0730643000 |
| Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital | Ksh 7,000.00 | 0207206000 |
| Mbagathi Hospital | Ksh 5,000.00 | 0202724712 |
| MediHeal Hospital UpperHill | Ksh 6,000.00 | 0786 871939 |
| Mater Hospital | Ksh 6,000.00 | 0719 073000 |
| Coptic Hospital | Ksh 6,000.00 | 0734590904 |
| Avenue Hospital | Ksh 9,900.00 | 0732175000 |
| Karen Hospital | Ksh 12,500.00 | 0726222001/ 0726222002 |
| MP Shah Hospital | Ksh 8,900.00 | 0204291100 |
| Kemri | Ksh 4,500.00 | 0722205901 |
Please note that prices are subject to change and you should contact the testing center to confirm if there are changes to the price.
Types of Covid test
- Antigen Test
Also known as rapid test, this is a test done to check for the protein element that is unique to coronavirus. It is more accurate, if you have Covid 19 symptoms. The antigen test has a fast turnaround time as it normally takes 15 minutes to 1 hour to get results.
- PCR test
This is a test done by analyzing the genetic element of the coronavirus. It is the most preferred test especially for travellers as the virus can be detected within days of infection even if you have no symptoms. The turnaround time to get results is a bit longer than the antigen test.
If you are travelling, most countries require that you must have taken a PCR test at least 24 hours before travel and have a Covid certificate with you.