Some Pop-Up COVID-19 Testing Sites Offering 'Express Results' Are Taking Way Longer Than Expected

Pop-up COVID-19 testing sites offering quick results seem to be popping up everywhere. But are they reliable? 

In New York City, Inside Edition found pop-up sites operating out of rental vans. One advertised “express results in 8 to 24 hours.”

Our producer got swabbed, but 24 hours passed, and there were still no results. Three days passed and we never got any results, so we went to try and get some answers.

“He had his test on Monday, and we still haven’t gotten results yet,” Inside Edition senior correspondent Les Trent told a manager.

“The lab is so busy,” the manager replies

He says all they do is collect the samples. As to what happens next — that's the lab's responsibility.

The lab in question is located in Brooklyn. Inside Edition called them numerous times, but could never get our results, even after five days and counting.

A supervisor for the lab wouldn’t go on camera, but said they are not trying to mislead anyone and are just simply overwhelmed by the Omicron surge.

USC public health professor Dr. Jeffrey Klausner says pop-up sites shouldn't be taking in samples if their labs can't provide bona fide results in a timely manner.

“If they can't give you the test results within 24 hours, no more than 48 hours, that would be a big red flag for me,” Klausner said.

Epidemiologist Dr. Danielle Ompad, a professor at NYU, agrees. 

“It's absolutely not acceptable that an organization is advertising one time frame for test results and having tests come back longer,” Ompad said.

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