Officials cite reasons behind testing lapse
Bi-county Public Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu said for all testing labs, the time between taking a COVID-19 test and getting a result could be anywhere from one day to as long as a week, but some Yuba-sutter residents said it has taken longer to receive their results.
“Since late July, we have been getting reports of some residents still waiting for test results after two weeks, which is likely caused by the recent state data glitch that has delayed the reporting of some results,” said Luu. “Once that issue is resolved, we should see testing results come back quicker, overall.”
According to Luu, Adventist Health/ Rideout and the various physician offices, medical groups and clinics within the Yuba-sutter area use a number of different labs for processing COVID-19 tests. The time it takes for a lab to process tests largely depends on a few things, said Luu, including the volume of tests they take in on any given day, available staffing and whether lab equipment is fully operational at the time.
“The state-sponsored sites have faced the greatest challenge in keeping up with workloads because of the sheer volume of tests,” said Luu.
The Appeal asked readers via Facebook to report how their tests went and how long it took to get results. Some residents, including Lindsey Lay of Plumas Lake and Linda resident Kayla Raylan said the testing process was quick and easy for them.
“(I had a) next day appointment at Ampla at Lindhurst,” said Lay. “They swab your throat and I got my results in three days.”
Raylyn said she went to Adventist Health/rideout to get tested.
“Didn’t take very long to get in,” said Raylyn. “It hurt a little when they swabbed my nose and it took 48 hours to get my results.”
Others said while the testing procedure itself was relatively fast, it took a long time to receive results.
Amy Brookman said she got tested on July 22 and was still waiting for her results as of Wednesday, Aug. 5.
“I called the health department to
inquire about results,” said Briookman. “The lady I spoke to said it could take up to 15 days to get results back since she had to wait 15 days for her results. Day 14 (and) still no results.” (She posted another comment soon after reporting that her results had just gotten to her).
Laura Medina, of Glenn County Public Health, said through the Optumserve testing site in Orland, it usually takes about four to six days for people to receive their COVID-19 test results but it can vary.
Medina said they have seen an improvement in turnaround times – a couple of weeks ago, she said they were looking at it taking about 10 to 14 days for people to get their test results.
One of the factors in getting results back, Medina said, is priority: if someone is symptomatic, a first responder or healthcare worker, their results are prioritized.
It also depends on the testing labs. “Ultimately, it boils down to the labs having the capabilities to run the volume of tests they’re (conducting),” Medina said.
She said they ask if someone feels ill, symptomatic or a close contact to another confirmed case to self-isolate and not to wait for their test results.
Luu agreed, saying regardless of how long it takes to get test results, a decision to get tested should be a decision to isolate.
“If you feel strongly that you should get a COVID-19 test, then you need to immediately stay home (and) stay away from others until you get the result of your test,” said Luu.