Diane Ahern swabs herself for COVID-19 at a testing site at the Long Beach Airport in Long Beach Tuesday, Jan. 11. “I need to get tested every three days to be able to visit my parents at their retirement home,” Ahern said. “I’m nervous.” Valley News/Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters photo
Ana B. IbarraCalMattersWhen Rebecca Santucci of Lakewood learned that her sister, Stacy Santucci, may have been exposed to COVID-19, she set out to look for a rapid test. She needed to know quickly whether their 88-year-old father was at risk.Pharmacies had been wiped out of home test kits, and testing clinics were booked solid for at least two weeks. On Amazon, she found a set of two at-home tests for $38, but they wouldn’t arrive until next month. And anything that required waiting hours in line wouldn’t work for her sister, who has Down syndrome and anxiety.Eventually she found a slot for a rapid antigen test at a private drive-thru clinic on the city of Lakewood’s website. But it was five days after Stacy Santuccil learned of her potential exposure.The price
