How Is Testing Going in the US?

How Is Testing Going in the US?
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Testing for coronavirus is currently uneven across the United States, so criteria for who gets tested and who does not is really being loosened. The country has now reopened stores, businesses and restaurants in phases, so concerns about a second wave of COVID-19 makes testing a top concern for officials. This happens especially if people are not legally forced to follow certain standards of social distancing or to wear face masks. On the other hand, the number of coronavirus cases is spiking in 50% of US states. This figure could also be caused by differences in the prevalence of testing.

A lot of facilities have changed their purpose and are now COVID-19 testing sites. These range from simple drive-through test locations to full-on medical centers. In fact, getting a test is not as simple as showing up at a testing center of your choice. If that happened, these facilities would soon find themselves to be overwhelmed or even decide to reduce some of the large groups that are lurking around.

This is all changing with impressive speed as more test kits are being made and deployed on the wide market. At some point, it is likely that researchers will stumble upon a treatment or even develop a vaccine, but, for now, the best thing we can do is to test and see who must be separated. Using antibody tests or even nasal swabs can even tell us who is harboring, despite showing no symptoms otherwise.

For example, in New York, which is the leading US state for the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities, there is still a criteria in place: in order to get tested in New York, as a resident of the state, you must still subject to some rules. In California, on the other hand, any resident can get tested.


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Anna is an avid blogger with an educational background in medicine and mental health. She is a generalist with many other interests including nutrition, women's health, astronomy and photography. In her free time from work and writing, Anna enjoys nature walks, reading, and listening to jazz and classical music.

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