MANATEE COUNTY (WSNN) – Are COVID-19 test results taking too long?
Three weeks. That’s how long it took me to get my results from a state-run COVID-19 testing site using Quest Diagnostics.
I took a coronavirus test at the Home Depot on Cortez Road in Bradenton, on Tuesday, July 7th. The results? A negative received 21 days later.
Epidemiologist, Manuel Gordillo, M.D., says when results are so delayed they simply become data.
“It’s not actionable, at that time there’s nothing you can do other than become a statistic,” Dr. Gordillo said.
SNN reached out to Quest about the reason for the delay, and spokesperson, Kimberly Gorode, responded with an email statement saying the “high demand for tests is straining their testing capacity.”
“In most cases, our average turnaround time is about 7 days, but there are some outliers such as your situation,” Gorode said.
But, I’m not the only one.
“I still have not been contacted at all for the results of that test,” Bradenton resident, Lisa Himmelreich said.
Lisa Himmelreich got tested on the same day as I did, at the same location. She ended up taking a rapid test on Monday and received a negative.
“After three weeks, it wouldn’t have mattered what the result was, because it would have been three weeks old, so that kind of testing isn’t helping us solve any of the problems,” Himmelreich said.
Others on Facebook report tests taken through Quest Diagnostics earlier in the month have still not been received.
Epidemiologist, Scott Hopes, says my tests results are moot at this point.
“Quite frankly, if you’re not going to get results for a week or two, it’s almost useless for the purpose of determining whether or not you should be isolating, especially if you’re asymptomatic,” Dr. Hopes said.
According to the new CDC guidelines, if you’re asymptomatic, you would now isolate for 10 days. So my time has already passed.
“Likewise, if you’re symptomatic and you get results back after 21 days, by then the course of the disease is already run and by then you’re ready to go back with your normal life,” Dr. Hopes said.
While testing results may take time, Dr. Hopes still encourages people to get tested. However, at this time, state-run testing sites are temporarily shutting down due to the tropical storm, Isaias.