CAPE CORAL, Fla -- As coronavirus cases in Florida continue to climb, the way people choose to get tested for the virus is starting to change.
Many are turning to at-home options, rather than waiting it out in long lines. If you're one of many who's recently been to Century Link Sports Complex to get tested, you may understand why.
The drive-up location has seen long, bumper-to-bumper lines with people waiting hours to get a COVID-19 test.
Some are now turning to at-home testing, which was approved more than a month ago by the FDA.
This expands testing to more people. And as our sister station in Tampa explains, some at-home tests like Labcorp's can get you results in as few as two to three days.
It's also a lot less invasive than a test you might receive at a drive-up location.
Health experts said if you think you need to get tested you can do a quick survey online that allows Labcorp to determine if you’re eligible. If you're showing mild symptoms, with no underlying health conditions, you should be able to get a test. The same goes even if you aren't showing any symptoms, but you work or live around people in close proximity.
“Right now you could be asymptomatic, meaning no symptoms at all of COVID and still spread the disease and maybe, more importantly, you could spread it to somebody who could be at great risk of dying if they got it,” said Dr. Marissa Levine, USF Professor of Public Health and Family Medicine. There’s also no upfront cost, and your insurance may cover the at-home testing. If you don’t have insurance, the test could likely be covered by the government.
