Bay Area Residents Searching for COVID-19 Tests Face Wait Times and Shortages

As COVID-19 cases proceed to surge successful California and crossed the country, galore radical are clamoring to get a COVID-19 test. A increasing complaint of Californians are investigating affirmative for COVID-19 with the authorities reporting a seven-day mean positivity complaint of 15.9% connected Friday.

For weeks, at-home accelerated tests person been hard to find successful Bay Area cause stores. CVS noted determination has been a "recent surge successful demand" at-home COVID-19 tests and said it has added a bounds of six trial kits per purchase.

Appointments for PCR COVID-19 tests (which instrumentality 1 to 3 days to instrumentality results) are besides moving short. On Friday, for example, the earliest disposable trial appointments done Sant Clara County were connected Jan. 5 astatine the Gilroy determination and connected Jan. 6 astatine the San Jose location.

Emily successful San Francisco told NBC Bay Area she tested affirmative for COVID-19 astatine location utilizing a accelerated test. She told her doc astir it and tried to motion up for PCR a trial done her healthcare supplier arsenic her doc requested. The soonest disposable assignment she could find was 9 days later.

"It conscionable increases our vexation and anxiousness close now,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, Clinical Professor Emeritus astatine UC Berkeley's School of Public Health.

Swartzberg has studied infectious diseases for 50 years. He besides knows firsthand the agony that comes with waiting connected a COVID-19 test.

His woman ordered accelerated COVID-19 tests online for their household up of a gathering they hoped to person with their lad and grandchildren. Friday, a week aft his woman ordered the tests, she said the institution canceled the order.

With the Omicron variant spreading truthful rapidly close now, Swartzberg is not definite if helium volition beryllium capable to spot his lad -- he's not comfy visiting with anyone extracurricular his household without taking accelerated tests beforehand.

"For the adjacent 2 weeks, due to the fact that I deliberation this is going to beryllium a truly captious period, I americium going to beryllium incredibly careful," helium explained.

So what should you bash if you person to hold for a COVID-19 test?

Continue to travel the CDC guidance connected isolation and quarantine (which has recently been updated). For radical who trial affirmative for COVID-19, the CDC recommends isolating for 5 days and "if they are asymptomatic oregon their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours)", past travel that 5 days by wearing a disguise astir others. For those exposed to COVID-19, the CDC says if you've been boosted should deterioration a disguise for 10 days aft vulnerability and if you haven't been boosted the CDC recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict disguise usage for different 5 days.

For anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19, the CDC says the champion signifier is to get a COVID-19 trial 5 days aft your exposure. But the world for galore is that they mightiness not beryllium capable to find a trial successful that clip frame.

If you person symptoms that lucifer COVID-19, Dr. Swartzberg says you should presume you person it.

"So you truly request to spell into isolation until you tin travel retired due to the fact that there’s been capable time, oregon you’ve had a antagonistic test,” helium explained.

For Swartzberg, his strategy includes not allowing anyone implicit to his location who has symptoms suggestive of COVID similar a scratchy pharynx oregon a runny nose. He besides holds a strict argumentation for lone allowing guests who've tested antagonistic with a accelerated test.

"From my perspective, if idiosyncratic can’t get a accelerated test, the enactment would beryllium canceled," helium added. "Each idiosyncratic is going to person to marque their ain determination astir that."

Many trial providers, arsenic good arsenic section and authorities governments, person said they are committed to ramping up investigating capacity. Swartzberg believes we volition spot that hap successful the coming weeks and tests volition go easier to access.

"I deliberation this is simply a impermanent problem, the frustrating happening is, it came astatine a clip erstwhile investigating is astir critical," helium said.