The surge in demand for COVID testing is leading to long delays on results for many, sometimes as long as a week or more.
Governor Edwards says early in the pandemic the problem was getting enough test kits. These days they’ve got the kits, but not the reagents to test samples collected at testing sites.
“Because reagent is not in the commercial labs in the amount necessary those labs cannot process timely and report back the results of the tests that they are receiving,” says Edwards.
Edwards says he’s been told about testing delays of longer than ten days in some cases and assured residents everyone is doing what they can to speed up the process.
“I know that it can be very frustrating to test thinking that you are going to get the results back in seven, ten days, and I have even heard of cases that were taking longer than that,” says Edwards.
Edwards says the long wait for tests could also be impacting spread mitigation efforts by keeping people who should be self-quarantining out in the public.
“Those individuals could be positive, maybe asymptomatic, and they are not taking the proper precautions by quarantining,” says Edwards.
Edwards reiterated the fact that if you think you’ve been exposed you need to self-quarantine and remain in quarantine even if you get results back that show you are negative.
Comments