Delays in COVID-19 test results

Delays in COVID-19 test results

THAN A WEEK - TO FIND OUT IFYOU'VE TESTED POSITIVE ORNEGATIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS.WE SENT OUR KATIE KELEHER TOINVESTIGATE.SHE FOUND ONE TULSA WOMANWHO WAITED NEARLY TWO WEEKSFOR RESULTS.

KATIE?LILLIAN PHILLIPS SAYS - AS ABARTENDER - SHE ALREADYFEELS MORE EXPOSED.

AFTERSHE CAME IN CONTACT WITHSOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE- SHE KNEW SHE HAD TO GETTESTED.

AND IT PUT HER LIFEON HOLD.JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTERGOING BACK TO WORK AS ABARTENDER - LILLIAN PHILLIPSHAD TO GO INTO QUARANTINEONCE AGAIN.00:03:28:03-00:03:37:07LILLIAN PHILLIPS, TULSARESIDENT "I was out of workfor 11 days and thatincluded two weekends, sothat's about half of myincome for the month."PHILLIPS' CLOSE FRIEND WHOSHESPENDS A LOT OF TIME WITHTESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID-19.

PHILLIPSIMMEDIATELY GOT TESTED ONJULY 2nd AT PHARMACY.

SheHAD TO STAY HOME AS SHEWAITED.AND WAITED.

FOR HERRESULTS.00:04:42:22-00:04:48:38LILLIAN PHILLIPS, TULSARESIDENT "I had to ordereverything delivery and thatjust costs that much moremoney that I'm not making."SHE WAITED FOR A PHONE CALLAND FREQUENTLY CHECK THE APPTHAT WOULD GIVE PHILLIPS HERRESULTS.

THE WHOLE TIME..WORRYING ABOUTHER HEALTH.00:05:39:55-00:05:55:42LILLIAN PHILLIPS, TULSARESIDENT "Every littlecough, or you know, you juststart, like wait, do I havethis?

Is it just mildsymptoms?

I felt prettygood, but there were acouple days that I didn'tfeel great and so I wasstressed.

That I was sick."PHILLIPS RESULTS EVENTUALLYCAME BACK NEGATIVE ON JULY13TH - ELEVEN DAYS AFTER HERTEST.

SHE'S NOT ALONE IN HERWAIT.

THE OKLAHOMA STATEHEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS PARTOF THE DELAY IS DUE TO THEOUTDATED FAX SYSTEM THAT'SALSO CAUSING ERRORS INREPORTED CASE NUMBERS.

THEHEALTH DEPARTMENT ALSO SAYSTESTING SITES LIKE URGENTCARES AND PHARMACIES SENDTHEIR TESTS OUT OF STATE ANDTAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO GETBACK - TYPICALLY BY FAX.

THERESULTS THEN HAVE TO BEMANUALLY ENTERED - WHICH CANCAUSE A DELAY.

THE STATESAYS IT'S RECEIVING FUNDINGFROM THE CARES ACT TOMODERNIZE THE SYSTEM - WHICHWILL IMPROVE TESTING RESULTTIME AND CONTACT TRACING.MEANWHILE - PHILLIPS SAYS -WHILE SHE'S IN THE CLEAR NOW- SHE'S GOING TO BE MORECAREFUL WHERE SHE GOES.00:06:30:30-00:06:41:20LILLIAN PHILLIPS, TULSARESIDENT "After that I'mlike, you know, it's just,I'm not going to do thatanymore.

I'm just going tostay in unless I have to beout which is just for work."WHEN IT COMES TO CONTACTTRACING, THE STATE IS GOINGTO START USINGTEXT MESSAGES ALONG WITHPHONE CALLS OT REACH OUT TOCONTACTS.

LIVE IN TULSA,KATIE KELEHER, 2 WORKS FORYOU.