SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – With Thanksgiving just days away, local health officials are seeing long lines at San Diego County COVID-19 test sites with many San Diegans hoping to get tested before the holiday.
With the sudden surge of testing, some experts, such as UC San Diego Chief of Infectious Diseases Dr. Davey Smith, warn that getting a test is not enough to minimize the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
“There’s a worrisome reason that people are planning to go visit their older relatives and they think they’re going to be 100 percent safe,” Smith said.
Smith also said getting a test now could still give out a false negative result.
“If I get tested now, it doesn't mean that I'm not infected, it just means that I'm not actively shedding the virus,” Smith told ABC 10News.
On Monday, at San Diego International Airport, ABC 10News spoke to travelers who had the same thought.
“I got tested about a week ago, just to make sure that everything is OK. And I know you can have it without having symptoms, so I did as much as I could to prepare before I came,” said Dana McLin.
And along with getting a test, these travelers made sure they brought everything else they need to stay health while traveling this Thanksgiving holiday.
Jan McLin said, “We are wearing our masks and we use hand sanitizers, sanitizing wipes, washing out hands constantly. This is necessary travel; when it’s necessary, you have to do everything not only for yourself but everyone around you as well.”