Overwhelmed U.S. hospitals are pleading with people not to come to emergency rooms for coronavirus tests, warning that they could wait many hours to be seen and cause delays for others needing immediate medical care.

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       Hospitals, already under strain from covid cases, discourage ER visits for coronavirus tests

       Although the Biden administration is ramping up access to at-home tests, millions of Americans already need them every day to ensure they can go to school and work and not add to surging infections. Intensifying the U.S. strain, about 10 percent of Americans do not have health insurance, and prices for tests can vary widely, making them even harder to come by for some.

       Those new covid measures Biden announced? Europe’s been doing that and more for a while.

       The United States, though, is far from the only country battling yet another coronavirus wave coupled with a shortage of antigen and PCR tests.

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       Here’s how some other countries are handling the surge in demand for testing:

       Britain

       Britain was among the first countries to confront an omicron-driven wave of infections. Initially, free at-home rapid antigen tests, known in Britain as lateral flows, were easily accessible at pharmacies or by mail through the country’s National Health Service. The government hoped to limit omicron’s spread by having people frequently take antigen tests.

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       In December, however, demand for tests began to quickly overwhelm supply. For a brief period in mid-December, people trying to order online from the official government website were told that tests were temporarily unavailable. Widespread shortages have since eased, although some pharmacies still face temporary runs on their supplies.

       Italy

       Italy was one of the countries hit hardest in the early months of the pandemic. This time around, Italy is relying on vaccination mandates and a robust network of mom-and-pop pharmacies delivering rapid antigen tests.

       Fear, distress, relief. The many emotions of the pandemic can be found in Italy’s pharmacy testing lines.

       Across Italy, testing tents have popped up outside pharmacies. Although antigen tests are less sensitive than PCRs, proponents say a major benefit of this system is that pharmacies report all positive tests to the government, which can then follow up to ensure that isolation rules are being followed.

       Israel

       Israel’s population is highly vaccinated, but the more-contagious omicron variant is still spreading quickly, upending routines at schools and businesses and increasingly filling hospitals with patients, many of whom are not immunized.

       Israel now offering fourth covid shot to anyone 60 or older

       The country has a robust health-care system, with all adult citizens and permanent residents required to be covered by one of several health-care providers. For much of the pandemic, Israel imposed strict isolation and PCR testing requirements for anyone who caught or was exposed to the virus. Health-care providers set up testing centers across the country to facilitate the process.

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       But, as in many places, the system is changing fast now. In early January, Israel’s Health Ministry issued new regulations recommending that PCR tests be reserved for those who are 60 or older or at high risk; other vaccinated Israelis exposed to the virus are required to take a supervised or at-home antigen test. Unvaccinated people younger than 60 must take a supervised antigen test if exposed and self-quarantine for a week.

       As cases spike, there has been a run on at-home antigen tests, with pharmacies and other stores quickly selling out. People have reported waiting hours in line at testing centers set up by Israel’s health-care providers and emergency medical system. One food delivery service has tried to fill the gap by offering to deliver tests from pharmacies — if, that is, the tests are in stock.

       Canada

       The omicron variant is similarly tearing through Canada, where the availability of tests varies by province.

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       As in the United States, doctors in Ontario have urged anyone who does not have severe symptoms to avoid going to emergency rooms.

       Andrew Healey, chief of emergency medicine at the William Osler Health System in the greater Toronto area, told Canada’s CTV that the influx of people seeking tests at hospitals, even though they have only mild symptoms, is “delaying care for other patients.”

       “We have to bring people through a triage process or registration process for each of those patients,” he said. “It takes up very important resources that … are quite limited at the moment.”

       The province has set up sites to give out rapid antigen tests — including outside liquor stores — but they have reportedly run out quickly, too.

       In Saskatchewan, however, rapid antigen tests are so widely available at libraries, fire stations and some supermarkets that people are sending them to relatives in other parts of Canada, CTV reported.