Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ Coronavirus test results in Texas can take up to 10 days.

That’s if you can get tested.

Experts say that means no one really knows the true picture of the coronavirus spread here.

texastribune.org/2020/03/28/cor…

2/ As tests have surged nationally, federal officials and private labs acknowledged a shortage in needed supplies.

The shortage and rapid ramp-up in testing have been blamed for testing backlogs across the country.
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3/ The long lag time for tests means no one really knows the true picture of the coronavirus spread in Texas.

Patients are also not getting the timely information they need to respond accordingly, experts say.
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4/ Texas currently lags some 35 other states in the number of tests it’s recorded relative to its population, according to @nytimes.

Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas is on a "very good trajectory” to increase testing.
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5/ Texas, with around 29 million people, recorded at least 35,880 tests as of Monday, a significant increase from the week before.

New York, with 19.5 million people, recorded 172,360 tests as of Sunday.

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6/ A Health Services Department spokesperson did not provide a specific timeframe for how long test results take.

Some private labs said their results usually take an average of 4 to 5 days, but the time can vary.

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7/7 A UT-Austin associate professor, who was tested on March 23, said a doctor told her it would take 7-10 days to get a test.

“If it takes someone seven to 10 days to get results, we're never going to have an accurate picture,” she said.

bit.ly/2WWtkwC