LATE
LATE WITH
LATE WITH YOU. >>> WELCOME TO UP LATE
EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY. I'M RON JONES.
I WILL TELL YOU ITS BEEN A
BUMPY ROAD FOR FOLKS
TRYING TO GET TESTED FOR
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. NOW GEORGIA IS RAMPING UP
TESTING ACROSS OUR STATE.
>> THE GOVERNOR IS NOW URGING
EVERYBODY TO GET A
TEST.
TEST.
TEST. EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE
CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOMS.
CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOMS. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
REPORTS MORE THAN 400,000
TESTS FOR CORONAVIRUS HAVE BEEN
COMPLETED IN THE
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. THE CHIEF INVESTIGATOR FOUND
ACCESS TO TESTING IS
STILL HIT OR MISS.
IT'S A STORY YOU WILL ONLY SEE
ON UP LATE.
>> WHAT
>> WHAT
>> WHAT >> HAVE YOU REGISTERED YET
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. I
>> YES. I HAVE A RESERVATION NUMBER
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. >>
HERE. >> Reporter: MY TEST FOR THE
CORONAVIRUS VIRUS IS
WAITING IN THIS PARKING LOT.
THE ROAD TO GET HERE WAS PAVED
WITH DENIALS, DELAYS
AND DOLLARS.
AND DOLLARS. >> IT'S A VICIOUS CYCLE.
CALL HERE, CALL HERE, CALL
HERE, CALL HERE.
>> Reporter: THAT WAS MIDMARCH.
>> I'M CALLING TO SEE HOW I
COULD GET TESTED FOR
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. >> Reporter: WHEN TESTING STILL
REQUIRED SYMPTOMS
REQUIRED SYMPTOMS AND RECENT TRAVEL TO A FOREIGN
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> ANYONE THAT WANTS A TEST
CAN GET ONE.
>> Reporter: ARE THEY TELLING
THE TRH
THE TRH
THE TRH >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. THAT'S FALSE.
THAT'S FALSE. >> IF WE AREN'T TESTING PEOPLE
WITH SYMPTOMS WE
DON'T HAVE A HANDLE ON HOW
SERIOUS AND WIDESPREAD
THIS IS.
THIS IS.
THIS IS. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I DON'T THINK THE NUMBERS THAT
ARE BEING REPORTED
CAN EVEN REFLECT WHAT'S GOING
ON IF EVERY DAY PEOPLE
CAN'T GET TESTED.
>> Reporter: THE GOVERNOR
CHANGED THAT TWO MONTHS
LATER AS THE STATE OPENED MORE
TESTING SITES.
TESTING SITES. >> ENCOURAGING ALL RESIDENTS,
EVEN IF THEY AREN'T
EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS TO
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.
>> Reporter: I FIRST WENT TO
THE FREE TESTING SITE
AT GEORGIA TECH.
THE WEBSITE STILL PRESCREENS
PEOPLE BASED ON
SYMPTOMS, NONE OF WHICH I HAVE.
IN ALL THREE TRIES OVER THE
LAST WEEK THE SYSTEM
REPLIED, YOU DO NOT QUALIFY FOR
TESTING AT THIS
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. THERE'S THAT FAMILIAR SHAPE.
LET'S GO INSIDE THE VIRUS TO
SEE WHAT THE TESTS ARE
ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR.
IT'S THESE BLUE STRANDS RIGHT
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. THIS IS RNA.
THESE ARE THE ACIDS THAT ARE
ESSENTIALLY THE
ESSENTIALLY THE FINGERPRINT OF THE VIRUS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THE BLOOD TESTS
LOOK FOR.
LOOK FOR.
LOOK FOR. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THE
ANTIBODIES THAT YOUR IMMUNE
SYSTEM PRODUCES TO HUNT DOWN
THE VIRUS IN YOUR BODY
AND DESTROY IT.
I WAS ABLE TO GET ANTIBODY
TESTING AT QUEST.
THE BLOOD TEST HAS NO
REQUIREMENTS OTHER THAN YOU
CAN'T BE SICK AND YOU MUST BE
WILLING TO PAY $129
FOR THE TEST.
THE RESULTS, 24 HOURS LATER
DON'T TELL YOU IF YOU
ARE CURRENTLY INFECTED, ONLY
THAT YOU HAVE
PREVIOUSLY BEEN
PREVIOUSLY BEEN INFECTED..
INFECTED.. I WAS SCREENED FOR SYMPTOMS.
I HAVE NO CONDITIONS AT ALL.
JUST WANTED TO GET THE TEST
SINCE THE GOVERNOR
MENTIONED THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD
GET TESTED.
GET TESTED. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. OUR GOVERNOR RECOMMENDED.
HERE IS THE THING THAT I WANT
YOU TO UNDERSTAND.
YOU DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS.
YOU ARE IN A LOW RISK CATEGORY
FOR HAVING
FOR HAVING COMPLICATION IF YOU GET
INFECTED.
INFECTED.
INFECTED. CDC GUIDELINES DON'T RECOMMEND
YOU TO GET A TEST.
IF YOU INSIST I CAN [INAUDIBLE]
FOR YOU BUT IT'S
WITH A COST FOR THE CORONAVIRUS
TEST.
TEST.
TEST. >>
TEST. >> Reporter: HOW MUCH
>> $300.
>> $300.
>> $300. WHAT I HEARD.
>> Reporter: $300.
OKAY.
OKAY.
OKAY. THE
OKAY. THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE SAYS
THERE IS NO COST FOR
TESTING BUT THE NURSE SUGGESTED
IT'S NOT WORTH IT IF
YOU DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS.
>> WASHING YOUR HANDS, VERY
EFFECTIVE.
EFFECTIVE. COST EFFECTIVE.
COST EFFECTIVE. >> Reporter: THAT'S A MINUTE
AND A HALF INTO THE
CALL TO THE PUBLIC COUNTY BOARD
OF HEALTH AND IT'S
JUST REPEATING A LINE.
EVEN THOUGH I DON'T HAVE
SYMPTOMS YOU CAN GET IN
WITHOUT A CHARGE
WHEN I GOT TO THE TESTING SITE
SATURDAY MORNING THE
PARKING LOT WAS NEARLY EMPTY.
THE NATIONAL GUARD NOT LETTING
ANYONE IN WITHOUT A
RESERVATION.
RESERVATION. I SAW ONLY ONE OTHER PATIENT.
YOU GUYS ARE THE REAL HEROES IN
THIS I WILL TELL
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. THE
YOU. THE WHOLE TEST WAS OVER IN
SECONDS.
SECONDS.
SECONDS. ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. GO HEAD.
GO HEAD.
GO HEAD. >> FIVE SECONDS.
>> Reporter: OKAY.
>> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. THAT'S IT.
>> Reporter: THAT'S ALL
WOW.
WOW.
WOW. UNLIKE THE GOVERNMENT BACKED
CVS TESTING I DIDN'T
QUALIFY WHICH RETURNS RESULTS
IN MINUTES I WON'T
KNOW IF I WAS POSITIVE LAST
SATURDAY UNTIL DAYS
LATER.
LATER.
LATER. >>
LATER. >> YOU WILL RECEIVE A CALL
WITH IN FOUR TO TEN
BUSINESS DAYS.
BUSINESS DAYS. >> SO THERE A COST FOR THE
TEST
TEST
TEST >>
TEST >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. IT'S 100% FREE.
BOTH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND
AUGUSTA HEALTH SAID
THAT THE APP GAVE US THE WRONG
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. THEY CLAIM THEY HAVE SINCE
FIXED THAT PROBLEM.
>> WHERE SHOULD PEOPLE GO TO
GET TESTED
GET TESTED >> THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
HEALTH HAS A WEB PAGE
BUT THERE ARE 44 DIFFERENT
PHONE NUMBERS ON THERE.
WHICH ONE YOU CALL DEPENDS ON
WHERE YOU LIVE.
QUESTION HAVE THE FULL LIST
WITH THOSE PHONE NUMBERS
UP ON THE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.
I GOT A TEST NO PROBLEM THROUGH
ANY COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. STILL DON'T