As Coronavirus Cases Surge, California Tries to Get a Handle on Testing

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2020

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As COVID-19 testing facilities across the state face ongoing backlogs, California public health officials adopted new guidance this week to help counties decide who should get test results fastest. Those hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms may see test results within a day, but other Californians -- especially those who aren't symptomatic or aren't essential workers -- may continue to experience wait times of a week or longer. We'll talk when and how you should get tested and about the public health impact of slow test turnaround times. And we want to hear from you: If you've been tested, what was the experience like? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for Forum comes from Rancho La Puerta, a wellness resort in Baja, California, just an hour from San Diego,
0:07.4	recently voted the number one destination spa by readers of travel and leisure magazine.
0:12.8	Summer retreat packages of three, four, or seven nights including hiking, water classes,
0:19.0	mindfulness, spa therapies, and culinary adventures with
0:22.8	farm-fresh ingredients. Learn more at Rancho LePuerta.com.
0:27.3	Support for Forum comes from Broadway S.F. presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a
0:33.2	true story. From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and
0:39.7	Lucille Frank, a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused
0:46.3	of an unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice,
0:53.4	and devotion.
1:02.6	The riveting and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orphium Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through June 8th.
1:06.9	Tickets on sale now at Broadway, sF.com.
1:09.5	From KQED. From KQED. From KQED, public radio in San Francisco, I'm Nina Kim.
1:24.7	Coming up on forum, California changed its testing guidelines this week to deal with a surge in demand for testing that's led to, in some cases, a two-week wait for results.
1:35.3	We'll look at how the new stricter guidelines could affect your ability to get a test, when you should get tested, and what's behind some of the slow turnaround times for results
1:45.0	that can make it harder to contain the virus.
1:47.0	And we want to hear about your recent experiences getting tested or trying to.
1:52.0	Tell us after this news. This is Forum. I'm Mina Kim. It wasn't that long ago when counties were encouraging people with or without symptoms to get tested for COVID-19 as they tried to get as many people as possible tested.
2:22.3	Well, things have changed. At least for now, the state released new stricter guidelines this week on who should be tested and when, as it contends with testing backlogs and some patients now reporting wait times of a week or more for results.
2:37.0	We look at what this all means for California's ability to contain the virus, and we want to hear from you.
2:43.0	Have you been tested? Was it hard to get an appointment or your test results?
2:47.0	Joining us now is George Rutherford. He's Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
	...

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