POLL HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED CHALLENGES
A new poll finds that more than 60 percent of U.S. adults who tried to get an at-home COVID-19 test reported difficulty doing so, underscoring problems with testing access.
The survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 62 percent of U.S. adults who tried to get an at-home coronavirus test in the past month had difficulty, compared to 38 percent who found it easy.
The results were better for in-person tests, with 65 percent saying it was easy and 35 percent difficult. But experts have pointed to the value of at-home tests for their ease of use and rapid results, avoiding the need to wait days for a reading.
The poll, which was conducted Jan. 11-23, adds some statistical rigor to anecdotal reports across the country of retailers sold out of at-home tests.
Overall, 23 percent of adults said they tried to get either an in-person or at-home test in the past month and had difficulty, the poll found, with 24 percent trying and not having difficulty, but a majority, 52 percent, not trying at all.
The new website could help, but orders are limited to four tests per residence.