What You Should Do if Your Covid-19 Test is Delayed
When test results take up to two weeks to come back, is testing even worth it?
Let’s start with the (somewhat) good news: Testing rates are gradually rising all over the country, which means that the data on Covid-19’s spread is more complete than it was at the beginning of the pandemic. It’s nowhere near where it’s supposed to be in order to keep the spread of Covid-19 under control, but it’s slowly getting better.
The bad news is that the increase in testing has created huge backlogs, which means that some people are waiting up to two weeks to get their test results back. Understandably, this has caused a lot of confusion and outrage. “It is so upsetting and absurd in so many ways,” said one law professor on Twitter, referring to the 10-day delay in her area.
Today marks the ninth day I’ve been waiting for my test results from an urgent care clinic in New York City. Like many people, I have questions: What am I supposed to do while I wait for my results? Many people are getting tested because they are worried they were potentially exposed to Covid-19, but symptoms can take two to 14 days to show up, so is it worth it if they won’t know their results for up to two weeks? In short, what is the point of getting tested now?
