If you have money to spare, you can get a COVID-19 test from a private lab now offering them in Tulsa without meeting state requirements like being over 60 or having a compromised immune system.
MCI Diagnostic Center founder and COO Colleen Payne said their nasal swab test is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and returns results in one to three days.
It runs $250.
"But at the end of the day, it’s life-saving. It’s peace of mind. It’s letting you know where you are as a patient," Payne said.
Payne said it was clear to her the state doesn’t have the resources to test everyone who wants to be tested, and MCI got its test kits through ties from government contracts.
"We’ve had first responders, we’ve had physicians, we’ve had — you know, just people that were unable to get the test. And some of the first responders have been on the first line with some of the COVID patients that have passed and were unable to get the test," Payne said.
The company is not processing tests for the state but will report results to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
