Orange, Seminole Counties add COVID testing sites to keep up with demand

ORLANDO, Fla. - Central Florida COVID testing sites have been slammed over the last few days, and local officials are trying to keep up with demand. 

The omicron variant is spreading fast in Central Florida, leading to long lines for testing and a lot of questions for people who are feeling under the weather. 

"A stuffy nose by itself could mean something, and it could mean nothing," said Dr. Aima Ahonkhai, an assistant professor of medicine in infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 

Dr. Ahonkhai says if you feel sick, you should take an at-home COVID test if you have one, but they’re hard to come by right now. 

You could also try heading to a testing site, but those have been mobbed. 

Orange County opened the Econ Soccer Complex Monday to try and relieve an always busy Barnett Park testing site. Seminole County is expanding too.

"We’re doing thousands of tests every single day," said Seminole County Emergency Management Director Alan Harris. 

Officials are opening a new site at Seminole State College’s Oviedo campus Tuesday. 

"We knew that omicron was here. We knew that it was getting bad, but we didn’t have really an idea of how fast omicron would spread through the community," Harris said. 

So, what if you’re sick and you still can’t nab a spot for a same-day test? 

"Because of the amount of transmission we’re seeing in communities, if you’ve had an exposure, I would certainly treat it like coronavirus until you can get tested," Dr. Ahonkhai said. 

If you have mild symptoms and you do not have a known exposure to COVID, she suggests wearing a mask and social distancing when possible.