Enough COVID-19 tests available in Metro Detroit, but results take too long to return

DETROIT – There seems to be enough coronavirus (COVID-19) testing available in Metro Detroit, but the results often take so long to come back that testing becomes essentially useless.

“If you want a test, you can get tested” has been a popular saying, and it seems to be mostly true. The problem is getting results. Across the country, there are widespread reports of serious delays.

Testing is not only important for peace of mind. It is essential to control the outbreak. People need to know if they are infected in order to properly isolate themselves and their contacts can be notified.

Any delay beyond a few days really makes a test useless.

Testing and tracing are pillars of the public health response to COVID-19, but right now the tests are falling short in the U.S.

According to its website, Quest Diagnostics, one of the nation’s largest laboratory corporations, currently takes more than two days for high-priority patients to obtain their test results.

That includes hospitalized, acute care, and preoperative patients as well as symptomatic healthcare workers.

For everyone else, the COVID-19 test results take more than seven days, or in some cases, even up to two weeks.

LabCorp, another national testing corporation, said July 19 that its testing takes an average of 3-5 days from the time of sample collection.

The demand for evidence has increased dramatically in parts of the country that are experiencing an increase. The problem is that many independent clinics and urgent care centers, along with pharmacy chains like CVS and Rite Aid, have partnered with national testing labs to process their samples, which not only delays the shipment of samples, but It also adds to the backlog for national laboratories.

Anyone who wants a faster result on a COVID-19 test should check with the local facilities that perform the tests in their own laboratories. For example, the Henry Ford Health System is completing its tests in 24 hours.

According to Michigan officials, the state lab’s response time is generally one day. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has a test locator on the coronavirus page This allows users to find sites that are free of charge and that do not require a doctor’s prescription or symptoms.

Delays with antibody testing can be troublesome, but they do not actually affect the pandemic because they are not yet considered reliable enough and the results are not used to indicate active infections.