By Ken Alltucker, USA Today
When COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations plummeted in late spring, many large, government-run testing sites from Los Angeles to New York switched to vaccinations or shut down.
That was before the highly contagious delta variant became the dominant coronavirus strain, accelerating cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
Americans are getting checked for the virus at a pace of more than 1 million tests each day, according to Johns Hopkins University. Some experts said it's harder to find testing appointments than it was last winter, when large, drive-thru sites fueled more than 2 million daily tests.
Consumers can test themselves with rapid antigen kits sold at national chain pharmacies and retailers, but they're selling as fast as they are stocked. Antigen test makers scaled back manufacturing this spring and are hustling to fire up factories to meet rising demand.
Concern about keeping up with demand for tests this fall
Even in Vermont, where 85% of eligible residents have received at least one vaccine dose, hospitals and health providers are processing more coronavirus tests, said Dr. Christina Wojewoda, laboratory director at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington.
She said her lab returns most test results within 48 hours, even amid a recent surge from people suspected of having COVID-19, those undergoing elective surgeries and travelers who need a negative lab test to enter Canada.
She sees potential challenges this fall as the state launches COVID-19 resource centers that offer testing and vaccination under one roof. The centers will be open weekdays and will have some weekend appointments. Wojewoda anticipates more testing requests this fall as people develop symptoms of common viruses such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.