COVID-19 Testing Supplies Good In Oklahoma Despite National Strain

Thousands of Americans are lining up for COVID-19 testing ahead of the holiday. 

You can’t miss it from the skies in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. Similar lines have been forming all week in Arlington Heights, Illinois of citizens waiting to be tested for COVID-19.

A surge in COVID testing nationwide is straining the supply chain.

“We have seen overall people wanting to get tested a little more than we had in the summer months,” said Deputy Commissioner at the Oklahoma State Health Department, Travis Kirkpatrick. 

While some portions of the nation are experiencing a short, Kirkpatrick said, Oklahoma is not.

“We have what is called the public health network, it’s a consolation of labs across our state both public and private that we contract with for our services,” said Kirkpatrick. “Those labs are not experiencing any type of turnaround time issues. So, all results are being reported in two days. “

Money received from the CARES Act is being used to create more appointments, with the hopes the public won’t think twice in getting tested. 

“Being able to identify early on that you may have COVID -- you can make decisions, we hope with our contact tracers, to mitigate that spread through quarantine and isolation,” said Kirkpatrick. “That’s the way that the shoe leather epidemiological approach to these things like a pandemic, that’s how they work.”

We’re no doubt upon what may be the strangest time of the year. Right now, it’s all about safety. 

“For us and anyone else, we just want you to kind of make those decisions based on what is best for you,” said Kirkpatrick. 

Free testing is available at your county health department by appointment.

The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University are also offering free testing to the public.