  COVID-19 testing, the cornerstone for effective screening and identification
of COVID-19 cases, remains paramount as an intervention tool to curb the spread
of COVID-19 both at local and national levels. However, the speed at which the
pandemic struck and the response was rolled out, the widespread impact on
healthcare infrastructure, the lack of sufficient preparation within the public
health system, and the complexity of the crisis led to utter confusion among
test-takers. Invasion of privacy remains a crucial concern. The user experience
of test takers remains low. User friction affects user behavior and discourages
participation in testing programs. Test efficacy has been overstated. Test
results are poorly understood resulting in inappropriate follow-up
recommendations. Herein, we review the current landscape of COVID-19 testing,
identify four key challenges, and discuss the consequences of the failure to
address these challenges. The current infrastructure around testing and
information propagation is highly privacy-invasive and does not leverage
scalable digital components. In this work, we discuss challenges complicating
the existing covid-19 testing ecosystem and highlight the need to improve the
testing experience for the user and reduce privacy invasions. Digital tools
will play a critical role in resolving these challenges.
