Labs warn of possible delays in COVID-19 test results amid surge in demand

A top association for labs conducting coronavirus testing warned on Thursday that some labs could soon exceed their capacity and have to increase wait times for test results.

The warning comes as coronavirus cases are surging across the country heading into the winter, increasing demand for tests and putting a strain on labs.

“The surge in demand for testing will mean that some members could reach or exceed their current testing capacities in the coming days,” Julie Khani, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), said in a statement. “In cases where the number of specimens received exceeds an individual laboratory’s testing capacity, there could be an increase in their average time to deliver results.”

During the summer, delays by as much as seven days for receiving test results significantly hampered the response to the virus.

People need to know if they are positive so they can isolate and avoid infecting others. If someone has been going about their business for days before receiving the test results, it defeats much of the point of taking the test.

Since that time, turnaround times had significantly improved. Quest Diagnostics, a major testing company, said Monday that its average turnaround time was two days, though it said it is seeing a “steady increase in demand.”

The warning from the ACLA on Thursday indicates that wait times could soon rise again.

Shortages of testing supplies continue to be a problem, Khani added. That is an area where President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to take a more aggressive stance in ramping up manufacturing of supplies. 

“Clinical labs are also facing delays or cancellations on orders for critical supplies, such as pipette tips,” Khani said. 

The surge in demand for testing comes as daily new cases are climbing ever higher, up to almost 150,000. The number of new tests has also been climbing, now at about 1.3 million per day.

A higher and higher percentage of those tests are coming back positive, though, showing that the spread of the virus is getting worse.