People from across state, country have gotten COVID-19 tests in Lansing

LANSING — People from across the country have stopped in greater Lansing for a COVID-19 test, according to data provided by Sparrow Health System. 

Sparrow has performed about 110,000 coronavirus tests since March 16, about a week after the first cases were identified in Michigan.

While most of those tests were for mid-Michigan residents who live in the hospital network's geographic footprint, thousands were performed for people who reside across the state, from Detroit to the western Upper Peninsula.

People from 47 states, some as far-flung as Alaska, Florida, California and Maine, have been tested at Sparrow facilities, the data shows.

"This expansion with COVID is well beyond our standard footprint for the laboratory," Sparrow Laboratories Director James Richard said. 

Sparrow tracks residencies of people who get COVID-19 tests at its testing sites or affiliated hospitals, but does not note whether they travel to the area specifically for testing.

Richard assumes most of the people from faraway places happened to be in Lansing when they developed coronavirus symptoms or were notified of exposure and want to get a test. 

"I would say... they happen to be here, they may have been exposed, they may have symptoms and we happen to have that site readily available." he said.

A few hours' drive would be worth it for a COVID-19 test, especially if results are returned within a day or two, like Sparrow Labs does, and available for people without symptoms, Richard said. 

That's why health officers in northern counties sometimes recommend people travel south for testing, Western Upper Peninsula Health Department Officer Kate Beer said.

Testing availability is limited in rural areas like the western Upper Peninsula, she said, and cases are "skyrocketing" in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties. Area health care providers don't have the resources to provide extensive community testing, and private labs in sometimes take two to three weeks to get results back.

The average turnaround time for COVID-19 tests in Michigan is 3.7 days, Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Bob Wheaton said in an email.  

Southern Michigan communities like Lansing tend to have more testing sites, including private pharmacies that offer COVID-19 testing.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the bulk of the 344 testing sites in Michigan were located in the more populous regions like metro Detroit, Grand Rapids, Flint and Lansing. 

Beer surmised three groups of people make up the upper peninsula residents who get COVID-19 tests in Lansing: Michigan State University students, travelers who happen to need a test while away from home, and people who traveled to Lansing specifically for test.

Testing equipment availability and turnaround time fluctuates with demand, Richard said.

An influx of new people visited testing sites every time Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expanded who could get tests, which at first were restricted because of severely limited capacity.

Influxes also follow outbreaks, like the one identified at Harper's Restaurant and Brewpub in East Lansing this summer, Richard said. He expects another surge when students return to Michigan State University for the fall semester.

Access to accurate testing with quick results is key to slowing the virus from spreading, he said. 

"On a community level it's important because you need to be able to identify what the presence a disease is in your community to be able to assess resources, both health care and otherwise, in order to plan," he said. "That was part of the problem in the hospitals early on. We didn't know how many to expect."

Contact Carol Thompson at ckthompson@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @thompsoncarolk.