The US mobile nCoV testing station is chaotic 3
`Waiting like this can put people in danger,` Tanner, who lives in the city of Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania, said.
Tanner’s 79-year-old mother developed a fever and chest pain after visiting her younger brother and his wife, who had recently been on a cruise ship.
It was not until March 19 that Tanner’s mother was able to schedule a test for March 24, but will have to wait more than 5 more days to know whether she is positive for nCoV or not.
Two medical staff prepare to take test samples for a driver in Billings, Montana on March 20.
`Non-stop testing stations`, where people sit in cars and drive through designated locations for medical staff to take samples, are expected to be a faster, safer way to test for nCoV, similar to the strategy
But more than a week has passed, and very few non-stop testing stations are still up and running, not even open to the public.
Walk-in testing stations are set up in multiple locations in more than 30 states, such as parks, parking lots, next to medical centers, universities, Mississippi state fairgrounds and near team stadiums
Delays in the Covid-19 screening campaign in general and the unpopularity of non-stop testing stations in particular make it difficult for public health officials to track the rate of spread and control the epidemic
`We need more testing to understand the scope of the public health crisis we are facing,` said Joseph Wendelken, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Dr. Brett Giroir, the federal health official responsible for overseeing the screening campaign, said during a White House press conference on March 21 that about 195,000 people have been tested for nCoV in the US, not including those who
Security staff coordinate vehicles entering the Covid-19 testing site in Paramus, New Jersey on March 20.
The implementation of the testing policy is neither stopped nor carried out uniformly across states.
The Utah Department of Health said it is not responsible for opening and monitoring non-stop testing stations.
In Houston, Texas on March 19, a line of cars stretched for about a mile outside a hospital, as the city’s first testing site opened.
In some other locations, nCoV testing takes place orderly and sometimes very quietly.
Testing sites have temporary tents, traffic cones, and medical staff wearing masks, gloves, and protective clothing.
But multiple testing stations in Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina and Utah had to close soon due to lack of medical supplies, while another site in Las Vegas had to shut down because
New York state opened several large testing sites on March 17.
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said he has asked the federal government for more testing kits and medical supplies.
`It’s an unfortunate reality for Nevada. We have to rely on our own strength,` he said.
Some states like Montana have just one walk-in testing station, while several others have more than 10 testing stations.
The non-stop nCoV testing network at retail chains that President Trump previously announced has also not come true.
The lack of uniformity in the non-stop testing system also causes many difficulties for patients.
To be able to schedule a drive-through test at a hospital, she had to complete a long list of questions online and spent two days trying to contact the medical facility, because the calls were always redirected to her inbox.
After many efforts, on March 19, she finally scheduled the test for March 23.
`We have many elderly, low-income people who do not have access to the Internet and transportation. While they are considered the group at highest risk of infection, how do we test them?`
In metropolises like New York and Philadelphia, some stations are offering additional testing for people without cars.
At the Penn Medicine testing site in West Philadelphia on the evening of March 19, two employees had to stand guard outside to ensure all people driving or walking were tested.
20 testing sites across Philadelphia can screen about 1,000 people per day, but it is still not enough to meet the huge demand for nCoV testing.
A long line of vehicles lined up at a non-stop nCoV testing station in the city of Houston, Texas on March 19.
Rhode Island state officials said all facilities, including three non-stop testing stations, can test 100-200 people per day.
`Our number one priority is to set up a facility where everyone who needs a test can come in and be screened for nCoV and get their results very quickly. Then, if you’re positive, you can be quarantined early to ensure
