Covid-19 test kits still scarce despite government officials' claims

Test kits nowhere to be found for many with symptoms

For the second day in a row, Darrick Fullwood has gone to hospitals and health departments trying to get tested for Covid-19, but despite having all the symptoms, he says no one has a test for him.

TAMPA, Fla. - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says Covid-19 testing kits are here and many more are on their way to Florida, but patients and doctors say those resources are still scarce in the Tampa Bay are.

Darrick Fullwood, Jr. says he has had symptoms consistent with Covid-19 all week. On Thursday, he tried to get tested at a hospital and was told ‘no.’ Friday morning, he went to the Pasco County Health Department.

"They told me to self-isolate myself until they call me," Fullwood told FOX 13 News. "I’m just anxious and frustrated at the same time."

By the end of the day, he still had not received a call about getting tested.

"Maybe that's why the numbers [of infected Americans] are so low because people can't get tested," Fullwood pointed out.

Frustration builds over COVID-19 testing

Darrick Fullwood's first day trying to be tested for Covid-19 was frustrating.

That's a common feeling among many who would like to be tested as the country deals with a shortage of testing kits but DeSantis said Friday the state ordered enough kits to test 625,000 people and nearly half of those kits have arrived.

"I've also directed our surgeon general, Scott Rivkees to strategically distribute these testing kits to 50 CLIA-certified labs throughout the state, starting with hospitals, so that testing can be completed closer to the patient," DeSantis said in a press conference Friday.

But hospitals like Tampa General are still struggling to meet the testing demand.

"Testing is very limited right now," Dr. Jason Wilson told FOX 13.

Wilson says, within the last 24 hours, TGH began testing patients who are showing coronavirus symptoms.

"So what's changed a little bit is those patients who have fever and a cough and do have risk for virus, but did not just get off an airplane from Italy tonight, those patients -- if they were to fit the algorithm -- might be tested," he said.

While that's better news for folks like Fullwood, he says government officials need to do a lot more.

"They need to exhaust all the resources, create some kind of infrastructure to let people get tested because I don't understand how South Korea can test people by the thousands but we can't."

Medical experts continue to urge patients who experience symptoms consistent with Covid-19 to call their doctors first. For a list of who you should call and what to do if you’re felling sick, visit https://www.fox13news.com/news/who-to-call-if-you-feel-sick.

If you feel sick

The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.

LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website

CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: What you need to know

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