(WXYZ) — The demand for COVID tests is still at an all-time high since the start of the pandemic. The wait in the drive-through at Lakeside Mall in Macomb County is more than 4 hours. The test results are 24 to 36 hours later.
Helix Diagnostics is the contractor for Macomb County.
CEO Jim Grossi tells 7 Action News, “At this point for us, the biggest obstacle is human capital, finding enough people to meet the demand to help us collect out in the field to keep our people fresh here in the lab.”
His lab in Waterford Township uses the two-step process for PCR specimens that are taken in Macomb County and other sites. On Tuesday his crew processed 2,700 tests.
Helix Diagnostics does not have a shortage of supplies.
CEO Grossi says they planned ahead, “We will be able to keep up we will never take any more business and we can stay within that 24 to 36-hour commitment to our customers.”
While it might be frustrating to wait for hours to get a specimen taken, thousands are doing it to stay safe. 4 out of 10 people are testing positive.
The personnel behind the tests give us much-needed answers, “The people here in this lab, the staff, the clinicians, the collectors, the supervisors, these are heroes beyond belief. They have been heroes in day one they have stood up and the world has asked them. They have answered the call and they come to work every day. And do a job that is sorely needed,” Grossi says.