Dataset Information

SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Florida, Illinois, and Maryland: Access and Barriers.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To characterize the SARS-CoV-2 testing cascade and associated barriers in three US states.

Methods

We recruited participants from Florida, Illinois, and Maryland (?1000/state) for an online survey September 16 - October 15, 2020. The survey covered demographics, COVID-19 symptoms, and experiences around SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing in the prior 2 weeks. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations with outcomes of interest.

Results

Overall, 316 (10%) of 3,058 respondents wanted/needed a test in the two weeks prior to the survey. Of these, 166 (53%) were able to get tested and 156 (94%) received results; 53% waited ? 8 days to get results from when they wanted/needed a test. There were no significant differences by state. Among those wanting/needing a test, getting tested was significantly less common among men (aOR: 0.46) and those reporting black race (aOR: 0.53) and more common in those reporting recent travel (aOR: 3.35).

Conclusions

There is an urgent need for a national communication strategy on who should get tested and where one can get tested. Additionally, measures need to be taken to improve access and reduce turn-around-time.

SUBMITTER: Clipman SJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7781341 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Florida, Illinois, and Maryland: Access and Barriers.

Clipman Steven J SJ Wesolowski Amy A Mehta Shruti H SH Agarwal Smisha S Cobey Sarah E SE Cummings Derek A T DAT Gibson Dustin G DG Labrique Alain B AB Kirk Gregory D GD Solomon Sunil S SS

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences 20201224

<h4>Objective</h4>To characterize the SARS-CoV-2 testing cascade and associated barriers in three US states.<h4>Methods</h4>We recruited participants from Florida, Illinois, and Maryland (~1000/state) for an online survey September 16 - October 15, 2020. The survey covered demographics, COVID-19 symptoms, and experiences around SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing in the prior 2 weeks. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations with outcomes of interest.<h4>Results</h4>Overall, 316 (10%) of 3,058 re ...[more]

PMID: 33398298

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundAvailability of SARS-CoV-2 testing in the United States (U.S.) has fluctuated through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in the U.S. state of Illinois. Despite substantial ramp-up in test volume, access to SARS-CoV-2 testing remains limited, heterogeneous, and insufficient to control spread.MethodsWe compared SARS-CoV-2 testing rates across geographic regions, over time, and by demographic characteristics (i.e., age and racial/ethnic groups) in Illinois during March through December 2020. We compared age-matched case fatality ratios and infection fatality ratios through time to estimate the fraction of SARS-CoV-2 infections that have been detected through diagnostic testing.ResultsBy the end of 2020, initial geographic differences in testing rates had closed substantially. Case fatality ratios were higher in non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic/Latino populations in Illinois relative to non-Hispanic White populations, suggesting that tests were insufficient to accurately capture the true burden of COVID-19 disease in the minority populations during the initial epidemic wave. While testing disparities decreased during 2020, Hispanic/Latino populations consistently remained the least tested at 1.87 tests per 1000 population per day compared with 2.58 and 2.87 for non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White populations, respectively, at the end of 2020. Despite a large expansion in testing since the beginning of the first wave of the epidemic, we estimated that over half (50-80%) of all SARS-CoV-2 infections were not detected by diagnostic testing and continued to evade surveillance.ConclusionsSystematic methods for identifying relatively under-tested geographic regions and demographic groups may enable policymakers to regularly monitor and evaluate the shifting landscape of diagnostic testing, allowing officials to prioritize allocation of testing resources to reduce disparities in COVID-19 burden and eventually reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Dataset Information

SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Florida, Illinois, and Maryland: Access and Barriers.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Florida, Illinois, and Maryland: Access and Barriers.

Similar Datasets

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