KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Children's Mercy doctors said they have started to run very low on COVID-19 tests due to a shipment of supplies that has yet to arrive, and there is no timeline for when testing will be back up and running.
Dr. Jennifer Watts, chief emergency management medical officer at Children's Mercy, told reporters on Tuesday that the hospital is having to ration the tests and reserve their use for specific circumstances because a shipment of a necessary part of the tests was not delivered last week as expected.
Watts described the situation as "frustrating" and "challenging," as the hospital still does not know when the shipment will arrive.
She said Children's Mercy typically does about 5,000 tests a week, and having to tell parents they can't test their child has been difficult.
"We fully understand that this is a huge inconvenience for all the families who are used to receiving this service," Watts said.
She said the company did not provide a reason as to why the shipment is late, but that the hospital has been working with them since the start of the pandemic without issue.
Now, however, due to widespread demand for tests and shortages in supplies, even when the tests arrive, there may be less than ordered.
Watts said the company notified Children's Mercy that they may not be able to receive the same quantity as in the past.
Children's Mercy is now looking for other companies or other testing methods that could allow the hospital to expand their testing abilities sooner, according to Watts.
"We are working extremely hard to find alternative methods," Watts said.
Though there is still much up in the air regarding their ability to preform COVID-19 tests, Watts said as soon as they are able to, they intend to expand testing again.
"We want to get it back up and going as fast as possible," Watts said.
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