Delays in bug test results plague city

Lab delays in providing coronavirus test results are disrupting the city’s ability to track the outbreak, according to a senior health adviser to Mayor de Blasio.

“Unfortunately, this is becoming a problem. We are seeing longer turnaround times from certain laboratories,” Dr. Jay Varma said Tuesday. He confirmed some results are taking a week or more to reach patients, but he did not go into detail or name the slow labs.

A mix of city-run and private labs runs the tests. Varma said private labs are processing test results from around the U.S. amid an alarming surge in cases at localities outside New York.

“When there is an increase in demand for testing from other parts of the country, that can backlog New York City specimens,” he said.

The city is “having a lot of discussions with a number of different partners” and working to boost testing capacity, he said.

The comments came as New York is yet to see the kind of horrifying resurgence of the virus afflicting cities around the U.S. — and in spite of concerns raised by massive protests here sparked by the May 25 death of Minnesota man George Floyd.

Varma said there was no known explanation for why the protests did not appear to spark a big spike in cases. But he said the virus is believed to transmit much less easily outdoors and widespread use of masks at protests as possible reasons.

He also speculated the sight of more New Yorkers hitting the streets may have compelled others to stay indoors.