Current Events > If we have rapid testing that gets results in 15 mins, why isn't it more common?

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From the recent Cuomo newsletter.

Earlier this week, in response to an uptick in COVID cases in Western NY, the State set up eight rapid testing sites for residents in the region. I wanted to share some of the results with you. From the testing team's effort, a total of 6,385 tests were performed with results delivered in 15 minutes. A total of 266 positive cases were identified, for an infection rate of 4.1 percent. While this was not random testing (it was a self-selected group), the situation in Western NY is nevertheless serious, and residents should exercise increased caution.

The State Department of Health will lend 20 rapid testing machines to local health departments in Western NY and continue to carefully monitor the infection rate of the region. Let's all do our part to make sure the virus doesn't spread and our infection rate remains low. If you have COVID symptoms or believe you may have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID, get tested.

Are they less accurate or just really expensive? I've talked to people who went to get regular tests and they got their results within three days, but it seems other states you have to wait for over a week. If we have the technology to gets results in under a half hour, shouldn't we be able to do better than a week?

Also for those wondering, the Western New York outbreak is from two manufacturing plants and local farmers.


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In some cases the wait is because the testing location has to send the sample off to a lab to be tested. It's possible you can get a much faster turnaround time if testing was done at or adjacent to labs they could actually do the testing right away.

I believe there is also a much faster test that will tell if you have the antibodies in your system. That will tell you if you have had it, but I don't think it tells you if you do have it which is why it isn't used very often.

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