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The COVID States Project #33: Update on COVID-19 test turnaround times across the country

Rapid delivery of COVID-19 test results are essential for the nation’s pandemic response. Our 50-state survey results reveal that testing times are decreasing, albeit slowly (see Figure 1).1 For respondents whose last nasal swab COVID-19 test was in March, the average result turnaround time was 3.9 days (with a median of 3.0 days); in December, the average time was 2.2 days (median of 2.0 days).2 Unfortunately, racial disparities still exist in testing times; in December, Hispanic and Black respondents waited 0.7 and 0.4 days longer than white respondents, respectively.We also measure respondents’ access to COVID-19 testing by asking, “How many days did you have to wait between the time you decided on a test and the day you were tested?” (Figures 2 and 3). Responses indicate that difficulty in obtaining COVID-19 tests has decreased somewhat, although race and ethnicity matter again: in December, Asian, Hispanic, and Black respondents had to wait 1.5, 1.4, and 0.9 days longer than white respondents (average wait time of 2.0 days) to receive a test.Despite an overall trend of increased access and reduced result times, as of December, the average time between the decision to get tested and the actual test (2.4 days) plus the average time to receive test results after getting tested (2.2 days) remains too long to support effective contact tracing.