According to worldometers.info, there were more than 5.4 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 170,000 deaths in the US as of August 14. The first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in the country was reported in January 2020 after a patient returned to Washington State from a visit to his family in Wuhan, China. This patient was isolated and thoroughly examined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health agencies in an attempt to better understand the virus. Not long after, the virus spread throughout the US and the world. Consequently, testing has become more accessible.

Viral and Antibody Tests

There are two methods of testing available to determine whether a patient has COVID-19: viral and antibody. Viral tests generally involve inserting a medical swab into the patient’s nostril to collect a specimen sample, and they take anywhere from less than an hour to a few days to produce a positive or negative result. These tests are used to determine if the virus is present in an individual's system.

Antibody tests, on the other hand, can tell if a person has been infected in the past. These tests are available through laboratories and healthcare providers and check for infection-fighting proteins in the blood that can potentially protect against a second COVID-19 infection. It is possible to receive a positive result on an antibody test even if a person has never had any common COVID-19 symptoms.

Total Tests as of Mid-August

Although the CDC hasn't released official testing figures, Politico, with the help of the volunteer-led COVID Tracking Project, has been updating testing numbers across the country daily with data obtained from state health departments. As of August 14, there had been more than 64.6 million tests administered in the US, and 5.2 million of those were positive for the coronavirus. California led all states with 9.4 million tests, while New York, Florida, and Texas had each administered more than 4 million tests.

Increase in Demand in July

Aligned with record daily numbers in confirmed cases, the demand for testing increased significantly in July, to the point where turnaround times for delivering results slowed substantially. One of the major diagnostic companies providing testing, Quest Diagnostics, noted it was taking between four and six days to produce results in July as opposed to the two-to-three-day window in June.

Some Patients Being Charged for Testing

Medicare, Medicaid, and insurers are required by law to cover COVID-19 testing, but there are some exceptions. Because of limits to the federal requirements, those without insurance, in some instances, have been charged discounted rates between $36 and $180 for testing. Hospitals pay between $20 and $850 per test, depending on the type of test and its manufacturer.