SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Coronavirus testing in Indiana is in it’s prime as July is expected to become the second-highest recorded COVID-19 tests in one month since the pandemic.
But with more tests, comes more test delays says St. Joseph County Health Officer Mark Fox.
“Over the weekend, we had a whole handful -- double handful -- of tests that were running 10-18 days. We had three results that came back over the weekend that were 18 days and processing,” Fox told 16 News Now Monday.
However, Fox says the key to a quicker test turnaround time is not about when you take your test, it is about where you take it.
“Ideally, they should go through there primary care provider and get tested in the context of whatever system they are part of,” Fox says.
According to Fox, the top testing option for the quickest results are hospitals. As of Monday, Fox says it is more likely a hospital will produce test results the same-day or up to 24 hours after the test was taken.
On the other hand, Fox says the majority of COVID-19 testing at hospitals are reserved for those with severe symptoms and likely to need medical care.
The second best option are testing sites run by the Indiana State Department of Health, who currently have an average of 2-3 days, Fox says.
Third in line, outpatient clinics such as South Bend Clinic, Beacon Medical Group, and St. Joseph Health System, who currently average a 3-5 day turnaround before receiving test results.
And finally, the one most Hoosiers are having problems with, pop-up testing sites at pharmacies like CVS Minute Clinics, are leaving some people waiting anymore between 7-10 days, or more, before receiving any results, according to Fox.
“A lot of the pop-up clinics if you will, they don’t link you to primary care, they don’t follow you in terms of monitoring your symptoms and things, and I think that is a problem especially when you are dealing with a disease like COVID. So the real challenge is, not only that people get frustrated and break out of isolation sooner than they should, it’s the missed opportunity of isolating or quarantining people who are close contacts and are at risk of being infected,” Fox says.
Fox says several St. Joseph County residents received test results after waiting for 18 days.
He advises anyone who is looking to take a test moving forward should go through their health care provider for the quickest turnaround test times.
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