People queued Monday to get tested for Covid-19 in Miami Beach, Fla. Some are waiting a week or more to get results.
Photo: cristobal herrera/EPA/ShutterstockSurging demand for Covid-19 testing in the U.S. and limited supplies have led to longer turnaround times for results, with some people waiting a week or more to learn whether they are infected.
What individuals do while they wait has serious implications for the continued spread of the virus, doctors and public-health officials said. Their message: Self-isolate as much as possible until you get your result, even if it is frustrating.
“If you feel strongly enough to get the test, then feel strongly enough to stay at home,” said Yolanda Wimberly, senior associate dean for graduate medical education at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Many people seek testing because they have symptoms, know or fear they have been in contact with someone infected or have traveled recently, though some seek tests for an all-clear before seeing vulnerable relatives or friends. States and cities have differing and still-evolving criteria for who is eligible for tests.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises individuals to stay away from others for 14 days after coming in contact with an infected person. Those with symptoms should self-isolate for 10 days from the time symptoms appear and until any respiratory problems have improved and any fever has been gone for three days, the CDC said.
The delays in test results come amid a jump in cases in the Southern and Western U.S. and as business and restaurant reopenings, coupled with nicer weather, beckon people outdoors after months of shutdowns. Prolonged wait times for tests hinder contact-tracing efforts meant to contain outbreaks because public officials typically use test results as a starting point for whose contacts to examine.
Going out to public spaces like grocery stores, dining out or attending social gatherings, even outdoors, while waiting for results risks virus transmission whether or not individuals have symptoms, several doctors said. Mask wearing, frequent hand washing and social distancing help mitigate some risk, they added.
The incubation period for the new coronavirus is between two and 14 days, and some people may be infected and never develop symptoms. While researchers are still studying the disease and how it is transmitted, there is evidence that it is contagious before the onset of symptoms or even when someone is asymptomatic.
“I know it’s hard,” said Ron Cook, chairman of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s department of family medicine. “You got tested for a reason, and as a result you really just should stay away from people because you could be asymptomatic and hand it off to someone else that you don’t mean to hand it off to.”
In determining what to do, some doctors advise considering the reason a person sought a test. If the person has symptoms, they should immediately self isolate, including from those they live with, until a result arrives.
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“If possible, sleep in a different room, use a different bathroom,” said Megan Murray, a professor in the epidemiology department at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Individuals with symptoms waiting on results should wear a mask indoors, avoid participating in food preparation and not touch surfaces or objects that others do, Ms. Murray said.
Family members should bring that person food when possible and not linger in shared spaces for more than 15 minutes.
If a person got tested because a contact tracer told them they had been in contact with an infected individual but they don’t feel symptoms, they should still be cautious and not go out to restaurants or public spaces, she said, though the risks they pose may not be as high.
For exercise while waiting on results, some doctors advise going for a run or walk in the early morning or at times when few people are around.
Those waiting on a diagnosis, regardless of the reason for getting tested, should avoid seeing elderly or pregnant friends and relatives or those with compromised immune systems until the result arrives, they added.
“There’s no magic formula saying this person needs to stay out for this period of time,” said Bonzo Reddick, chairman of the department of community medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine.
Some people awaiting test results don’t have the means or space to have their own living space or bathroom as they wait, complicating efforts to protect their families. Only a few cities and employers in the U.S. have created temporary housing for those diagnosed with the virus or who have been in contact with someone who is infected.
“Sometimes you have to also consider the job description of what they are doing and what they can afford to lose,” Dr. Reddick said of employees deciding when to report to work. As more businesses reopen, some individuals who have been exposed to the virus and are awaiting test results must decide whether to return to work or use valuable sick leave while they wait.
Andrew Diamond, chief medical officer of primary-care chain One Medical, said workers should consider the environment they are returning to. If they are in tight quarters, “I think it’s best to not enter that facility until you know you have a negative test result,” he said.
If a person has traveled on an airplane and is unsure of their exposure to infected individuals, they should self-isolate until they have testing results. “People feel like if everyone else is doing it, it must be OK, and that’s not necessarily true,” Dr. Wimberly said of increased travel.
Write to Sarah Krouse at sarah.krouse@wsj.com
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