LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas doctor says at-home COVID-19 tests may be appealing for some, however long waits for test results remain.
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“It’s the convenience part that you’re really getting with the home test, you don’t need a doctor’s appointment and if its positive, quarantine yourself,” says Dr. Jeffrey Ng, primary care physician.
Pixel by LabCorp is an at-home COVID-19 test, which requires a nasal swab and is then shipped to a lab.
At-home tests don’t always mean avoiding quarantine time completely.
Lab Corp says it will take about three to five days for results from the time the swab arrives to the lab.
Dr. Ng says if you don’t have good internet knowledge, avoid an at-home test.
“You’re worried about the accuracy and whether if registering the test online is proper, the right address, the right information,” says Dr. Ng.
Dr. Ng advises that if you are able to get to a drive up location, to do so, as it could cut down any chances of possible contamination.
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Regardless where the test is taken, the wait for results is still an issue many are facing after testing is done.
Dr. Ng says that medical professionals are just as frustrated about those delays when trying to provide a critical answer to their patients.
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“If you’re going to a place where you’re getting swayed and its at a Quest lab station or a doctor’s office, and they submit it to Quest themselves, those are the ones I'm finding are taking the longest return time,” says Dr. Ng.
Quest Diagnostics says the average turnaround time for results is seven or more days.
While some patients may receive their test results in as quickly as two to three days, some may experience wait times of up to two weeks.
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