The shortage of at-home COVID tests and long lines at state testing sites means many people with minor illness — or no symptoms at all — are going to emergency rooms to get tested. Doctors say that's a serious problem.
The shortage of at-home COVID tests and long lines at state testing sites are contributing to another problem: crowded hospital emergency rooms.
"We have so many sick patients in EDs currently, the ED is not the place where you want to be if you are asymptomatic and healthy," said Kendi, the division chief of pediatric emergency medicine at BMC."Finding other sites is really important." She said they checked four different options, but didn't find any appointments available. And they found a line too long at a testing site in Everett run by Cataldo Ambulance Service.
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