NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. -- A Pasco County man said he was left with questions after still not knowing his results nine days after he was tested for coronavirus.

"I don't know what to do about it because I feel just fine. I don't have any symptoms whatsoever," said Don Lindemann, 68.

Lindemann said he began feeling sick on March 15. It started with a runny nose, but then came a dry cough and 101 degree fever. On March 23, the day after the fever broke, he was tested at a BayCare drive-thru site.

"I qualified based on my age and the symptoms I was having, and they gave me the test and told me it'd be six days until I could get my results back. Well, of course, six days passed, seven days passed, and I called but got a set of endless loops, basically," Lindemann said.

A March 17 post to BayCare's web site about the drive-thru testing sites said people could expect results in 2-4 days. Another post dated March 31 begins, "BayCare shares the frustration of patients who have visited our drive-thru COVID-19 test collection sites and whose results have not yet come back after more than a week's wait."

According to the post, testing wasn't broadly available until commercial labs LabCorp and Quest announced they could run the tests. It was two weeks later when BayCare opened its first testing site on March 18. By then, demand had skyrocketed nationwide. BayCare noted labs haven't been consistent in addressing backlogs. That's created a situation in which some of those tested after March 21 have received their results, while others among the earliest tested between March 18-21 are still waiting.

"There is a significant delay because we're really taxing the infrastructure that we have," said Dr. Marissa Levine, a professor of public health and family medicine with the University of South Florida and the former health commissioner for the state of Virginia.

A spokesperson for Quest said the lab's average turnaround time is 4-5 days, but that could be impacted by demand and vary across the U.S. 

"Although we are rapidly expanding testing capacity, demand for testing is growing faster, and we cannot accommodate everyone who wants testing and meet tight turnaround expectations," Spectrum Bay News 9 was told via e-mail.

A LabCorp representative said the time frame for completing results on its test also varies based on factors like demand, how long it takes to transport specimens to LabCorp facilities, and prioritization of patients as defined by health care authorities.

"LabCorp, along with other laboratories, is experiencing unprecedented and rapidly increasing demand for COVID-19 testing in the midst of this national health emergency," spokesperson Mike Geller wrote in an e-mail.

For Lindemann and those in his situation, that can lead to uncertainty.

"I may have the antigens and I could go back to volunteering at the VA system, where they need my help," he said of what a positive test result could mean. "Also, I can't warn or talk to anybody about it because I wouldn't know if I should tell them that I did have it or don't have it. It's just sort of a lot of limbo here I'm in."

Levine said while it's believed those who've had this strain of the coronavirus may have some protection against it in the future, that, like so much of this situation, isn't known for sure. She said those without results should err on the side of caution and wait for those results and medical guidance. 

"You also have to think about where it is you're going back to, because there are people in our community who are at high risk of death or complications from coronavirus," Levine said.

She recommended anyone in Lindemann's situation consult their doctor about any questions.

As for whether those waiting for results should alert those they've been in contact with, Levine said now is the time for transparency.

"We need to be transparent with each other, and we need to give everybody an opportunity to figure out what it is they need to do given their circumstance," she said.

According to BayCare's web site, they're in constant contact with labs and will notify patients of results as soon as they're available.

Quest said it's working with health care systems to prioritize testing for hospitalized patients and hospital workers who are showing symptoms.

As for LabCorp, Geller wrote, "We are working every second of every day to increase the number of tests that we can run."