COVID-19 test result delays put resident out of work for three weeks

COVID-19 test result delays put resident out of work for three weeks

AND SHE SAYS ONCETHERE WAS AN OUTBREAK AT ONERESTAURANT SHE COULDN'T WORKAT EITHER ONE OF HER RESTAURANTJOBS, UNTIL SHE COULD SHOWPROOF THAT SHE TESTED NEGATIVEFOR COVID-19-AND THE DELAY IN GETTING HERTEST RESULTS BACK IMPACTEDHER FINACIALLY.PKG:"AT ONE OF THE JOBS THAT IWORKED ATTHEY TOLD US THAT SOMEONE AT OURJOB HAD COVID AND THAT WE HAD TOQUARANTINE FOR TWO WEEKS ANDTHAT THEY WOULD CONTACT US BACKWHEN WECOULD ALL COME BACK, I WORK AT ASECOND JOB AND THE SECOND JOBTOLD MEWELL IN ORDER TO COME BACK YOUNEED TO GO GET TESTED.."GUERRERO SAYS ONCE SHE WASEXPOSED TO COVID-19 AT HERFIRST JOB..

SHE HAD TO GETTESTED AND SHOW HEREMPLOYERS THAT SHE WAS NEGATIVEIN ORDER TORETURN BACK TO HER JOBS.BUT SHE SAYS GETTING HER TESTRESULT BACK WAS MORETHAN A STRUGGLE."IT TOOK ME ABOUT 17 DAYS"DOCUMENTS SHOW THAT QUESTDIAGNOSTICTESTING FACILITY COLLECTEDSPECIMEN INFORMATIONFROM GUERRERO ON JULY 14TH ANDTHAT HER RESULTS WEREREPORTED BACK TO HER TODAY ATNOON.GUERRERO SAYS SHE WAS INITIALLYTOLD IT WOULD TAKE 3 TO5 BUSINESS DAYS.

BUT ON DAY FIVEGUERRERO CALLED AND WASTOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEYCOULD DO OTHER THAN UPDATE HERTEST TO A SUPERVISOR LEVEL.

BYDAY SEVEN SHE TRIED TO EMAIL THEPROVIDER THAT SHE WASTOLD TO REACH OUT TO.."AND ONCE YOU CONTACT THE EMAILYOU GET NO RESPONSE,"SHE EVENTUALLY WAS GIVEN THENUMBER TO CONTACT A QUESTDIAGNOSTIC SERVICEREPRESENTATIVE.WHERE SHETHOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO FINALLYTALK TO SOMEONE ANDGET HER RESULTS."BUT IT KEPT REPEATING A PHRASETHAT SAID THAT IF YOU ARECALLING FOR COVID TEST RESULTSPLEASE PRESS ONE IFYOU ARE CALLING FOR ANYTHINGELSE PLEASE PRESS TWO OR REMAINON THELINE AND IT KEPT REPEAT THAT FORABOUT.."WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE QUESTDIAGNOSTICPUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER VIAEMAIL AND PHONE ANDDID NOT HEAR BACK AS OF NEWSTIME.

GUERRERO WAS NOT SHOWINGCOVID-19 SYMPTOMS .DOCUMENTS ON QUEST'S WEBSITESHOW--THAT REGARDLESS OFTHE FIVE DAY WAIT TIME SHE WASTOLD ABOUT--IN THE EYES OF QUESTDIAGNOSTIC SHE WAS NOTCONSIDERED A PRIORITY ONEPATIENT AND THAT HER RESULTSCOULD TAKE UPTO TWO WEEKS.HOWEVER, DOCUMENTS ALSO SHOWGUERRERO WAITED 17 DAYS -UNSURE WHEN SHE WAS GOING TO GETTHESE RESULTSBACK..LOSING MONEY EVERYDAY.."900 DOLLARS FOR THE WEEKS THATI HAVEN'TBEEN WORKING."SHE SAYS DURING THIS TIME IT HASBEEN HARDER TO PAY BILLS.

SHESAYS SHE'S LUCKILY TO BE SINGLEWITH NO KIDS BUT FORSOMEONE WITH A FAMILY WHO IS OFA LOWER SOCIOECONOMICSTATUS THIS MAY BE A BIGGERFINANCIAL HURDLE.THEYMAY NOT BE EXPECTING.."FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT DON'THAVE THATINCOME AND THAT NEED THAT EXTRAINCOME IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEMA LOTAND FOR THEM IT'S PROBABLY GOINGTO BE MORE THAN ONE THOUSANDDOLLARSTO MISS THREE WEEKS OF WORK."NOW GUERRERO SAYS SHE WASCONSIDERING FILLING ACOMPLAINT BUT SHE COULDN'T GET AHOLD OF ANYONE ON THE PHONE OROVER EMAIL.SHE NOW JUST HOPES THAT BYSPEAKING OUT ABOUT HEREXPERIENCE QUEST DIAGNOSTIC CANTEAM UP WITHOTHER LABS AND OR FINDADDITIONAL WAYS TO INCREASESTAFFING AND SUPPORT SO THATOTHER KERN COUNTYRESIDENTS ARE NOT IMPACTEDFINANCIALLY.COVID-19 CASES IN KERN COUNTYHAVE PUSHED PAST THE 19-