American Man Feels All The Symptoms Of Coronavirus, Tries Getting Tested, Finds Himself Surrounded By Unprofessionalism
The coronavirus has become a pandemic, but the US is having a tough time coping with the crisis. Especially when it comes to testing to see if people have the illness.
One woman from Colorado, Caitlin, told the harrowing story about how she tried to get her 33-year-old husband, Jacob, tested for Covid-19. The chaotic situation she described shows that the US still has a way to go until its response to the health crisis is considered adequate.
The woman’s story was widely shared on the internet, with over 10.6k upvotes on Reddit and over 3.8k upvotes on Imgur. Some people were shocked at what they read and came to the conclusion that the current system has to be improved. For everyone’s sake.
Scroll down for Bored Panda’s interviews with Caitlin, as well as with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Image credits: CDMJ
One woman from Colorado wrote about the difficulties her husband had trying to get tested for the coronavirus
Caitlin told Bored Panda that she and her husband both feel frustrated and tired. “Our lives would be so much easier to manage if we knew one way or another if he had it. We would love nothing more for him to be negative, so we could stop worrying that we’re spreading this virus. And if he did test positive, we would at least have that to show to our employers so I could work from home, and he could take unpaid time off to recover.”
“Getting sick is never fun, no matter what illness it is. We’ve mostly been frustrated by not being able to get tested because he hasn’t ‘had contact with a positively diagnosed person.’ Our doctor has tried several times to get approval for a test, but the CDC criteria prevent her from ordering the test.”
We wanted to hear Caitlin’s opinion about why the US is having difficulties with testing for the coronavirus. Here’s what she had to say: “I am no expert, and I don’t know all the facts, but it appears that we do not have enough tests. The CDC has to keep strict criteria in place so that only those who are severely sick or highest risk can be tested.”
“Which makes sense if there aren’t enough tests to go around. Meanwhile, the virus is spreading through our country because those who are mild and haven’t traveled internationally cannot get tested.”
In her opinion, the response could be improved by making more tests and following other countries’ examples. “When more tests are available, start testing everyone who has a fever or cough. South Korea has been conducting mass-testing and seems to be working to keep the spread of the virus in check. The US should follow the example from countries where the spread has been slowed, like South Korea. This outbreak involves the entire planet, we need to stop trying to blame one another for it and start helping each other. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. We’re all human beings, we’re all neighbors, we need to take care of each other.”
Caitlin said that she hasn’t been inside a store in over a week now because she’s trying to distance herself from public areas. Just in case she doesn’t potentially spread the virus.
“I’ve been ordering groceries online and picking them up. When I went to the store last weekend, they were limiting how many cleaning wipes you could buy, and they were almost sold out. They were sold out of face masks, rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel, but they still had some toilet paper and cold medicines. My sister in Dallas, Texas, said they are all sold out of toilet paper and cleaning wipes at her local grocery store. The photo in my essay was from a Walmart in Denver last weekend, when my mom was shopping for supplies.”
US politicians are frustrated about the situation with coronavirus tests
Apart from the bureaucratic hoops the couple had to keep jumping through, the other worrying thing is that the woman’s husband fell seriously ill despite having a very healthy lifestyle.
It’s no secret that the coronavirus testing system in the US has some glaring flaws. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the system isn’t geared towards what’s needed at this point in time. There are currently over 1,300 cases of the virus in the US; it has spread to 47 states.
The BBC writes that US government officials aren’t aware of the number of people being tested for Covid-19 in the country because some tests are done in private hospitals and laboratories that haven’t reported their findings to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The idea of anybody getting it [testing] easily, the way people in other countries are doing it, we’re not set up for that. I think it should be, but we’re not,” Dr. Fauci said during a congressional hearing.
Meanwhile, Republican senator James Lankford shared similar sentiments: “We’ve got a long way to go to be able to get rapid, efficient testing.” Senator Mitt Romney mirrored Lankford’s frustration: “You can’t get wipes for your countertop. You can’t get alcohol… and it’s very difficult to get tests.”
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment states that it has pandemic response plans ready to go
Bored Panda also spoke to a representative of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment about the state’s response to the health crisis. “Colorado has been preparing for coronavirus since the onset. We have pandemic response plans ready to go, we have built tools and protocols to monitor travelers and other individuals who may be exposed, we have the infection control expertise we need, and perhaps most important, we’ve built strong relationships with our local public health and health care partners. Officials are working closely with CDC and organizations across the state to ensure our response is proactive, strong, and collaborative.”
“Colorado has launched an aggressive response to COVID-19. We have looked at what is working in other places and are not waiting to take appropriate action. The governor moved boldly with an emergency executive order aimed at preventing the spread of the virus and also to assure Coloradans and visitors that we are minimizing risks. $4 million dollars to immediately help response efforts in our communities. We continue to evaluate this rapidly changing situation and looking at the data to make informed decisions to keep people safe.”
According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, “there are sufficient kits” to manage the demand. “We are exploring various efforts to increase testing capacity, including working with hospitals and universities, as well as exploring increasing the number of lab technicians working for the state. There are also private labs able to run tests. The mobile testing center in Lowry has served more than 650 people since it opened on Tuesday.”
The Department also had this to add:
“Those who are not sick can continue to take simple preventive actions:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using household cleaning sprays or wipes.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. In the absence of soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.”
Some people pitched in with similar stories of their own
Except it's the same in Australia-- A know a couple of my mom's friends who got the flu after being visited by an Italian friend of theirs 5 weeks ago. 2 weeks later both were sick. The Italian lady was 100% fine by the way and had zero symptoms at all. My mom's friend went to the doctor and asked about COVID-19 and her proximity to the Italian friend but because the Italian friend didn't get any symptoms and neither did anyone on the plane they came in on, she didn't meet the criteria of COVID-19 testing in Australia and so wasn't tested. Moreover, her doctor said she had 'just a cold' because their symptoms were mild. Both women recovered and are fine now a week later but was it COVID-19?? We don't know and they refuse to test after the fact. Now we know there are mild cases and asymptomatic carriers etc so it could have well been Coronavirus. We self-isolated from those friends just in case but yeah, the US is not the only place not adequately testing people. :\
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Health care in the United States - an oxymoron, and a joke. When a health care system puts profits ahead of patients, c**p like this happens. Unless we get our act together, when The Big One hits - the pandemic that will spread faster than juicy celebrity gossip, and have a high mortality rate - we are f###ed. Those who point out this country's failings are not bashing the U S., they are offering constructive criticism.
But hey, others countries are to be blamed! Much easier than saving the world together.
President Trump, in his televised statement, was very clear in referring to Covid 19 as a "foreign virus."
Load More Replies... "They sent me home with antibiotics" suggests the doctor doesn't believe it's viral at all.
Yeah - or just hoped that it wasn't. Though if it is viral then prescribing antibiotics is a really irresponsible thing to do. Chances are that they won't work if/when he needs them.
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Last I read the US has tested fewer than 5,000 people. South Korea has set up drive-through testing booths and is testing 15,000 people a day. Our CDC has been losing funding for several years. Two years ago trump got rid of the pandemic medical group to save money. These politicians need to stop calling themselves conservatives. Real conservatives, whether people or countries, plan for the future and prepare for foreseeable problems. They don't limit their values to short-term profit for the lucky few.
Trump doesn't want everyone to get tested because it will show the truth of the situation and prove he is a horrible president who can't handle emergencies like this
The Syrian bombing campaign started during Obama's term, but he got the Nobe peace prize. This is what happens when the media is owned by your friends. If this had happened during Obama's term, the same media would have lied about the situation.
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I will probably get downvoted for not being patriotic enough, but I am an American and I can honestly say that our country has become nothing more than a joke and a shame and we have no one to blame but our politicans. They sit up and argue over who is right, meanwhile I come from a family that is full of nothing but people with compromised immune systems: my father is a kidney transplant patient who has spinal stenosis and he is 63 years old. My mother has very bad sinus problems and carpal tunnel syndrome. My aunt is a dialysis patient and former transplant patient. I have asthma and currently right now an abscessed tooth. Let's not forget my sister who has absence seizures. Any member of my family could get COVID19 and die right now because of our compromised immune systems and our country is totally unprepared for that. I am 34 years old, but I still don't think that this is something that our elderly and small children should be worried about. Let's stop arguing and pray. Peace.
The way the UK and the USA are dealing with this is terrifying. I'm British and we are now only testing those in hospital. Things are going to get bad.
Went to a walk-in for a work physical two Monday's ago. This Monday I went to the mall for a few things. Target. Ulta. Touched only what I needed to get. Back home and washed straight off. This Tuesday I started feeling punky. Coughing lots. On an off fever. Headache. Wednesday I felt worse. Night sweats Monday into Tuesday. Tuesday into Wednesday just exhausted. Thursday I left work after 2 hours. Bought some oj. Came hone. Crashed. Didn't go to work Friday (today). Sad because I'd go to the walk-in but they don't test for covid. I know it's not flu. I'm not vomiting. I have the poops. Sore throat. Fever on an off. Cough. Chest is a little tight. Took hot steam shower. Fluids. If I study home I'll be broke. I wore a mask Thursday (we have them for work we do the construction style)and have it in my car. I'll wear disposable gloves if I go out tomorrow. Why aren't tests out there. I'm in Connecticut. Mouth is feeling little raw now too.
It is sad that you went to work Tueday to Thursday while feeling ill. This is how viruses spread. I assume though, where you say "If I study home I'll be broke" that's a typo and you meant "stay home" and that means you have no paid sick leave? People with no paid sick leave are another reason this thing will spread so easily, not just the cost of being tested. Many employers in NZ provide unlimited paid sick leave now. It keeps their workforce healthy overall. Proof is required from a doctor that you're actually sick of course, to avoid people abusing the privilege. Expensive doctors and no paid sick leave will see this thing spread rapidly.
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It's not a government conspiracy. It's all of us shooting from the hip because we've never dealt with this before, and we are learning as we go. That being said, Singapore is a good example of how a structured government run health care system has been integral in their so-far low case numbers and quick identification. No I'm not a socialist or communist. But this is a perfect example of why PUBLIC HEALTH is in fact in the best interest of the WHOLE public, and why our healthcare system should be government run and not dominated by for-profit industries. - US physician
She was told to come back to work right after this?! I've NEVER IN MY LIFE heard of a cold or flu acting like what her husband got. My workplace would have said, "Yes, please! By all means, stay home! For god's sakes!" Then again, my company is based in the UK. (I live in the US.) Also, I have the option of working from home. They would never, ever gripe about someone working from home if they are feeling sickish, not now, not ever.
Before my workplace told everyone to work from home starting this week, I was going to say I was going to work from home starting this week because my son who lives with me has a lot f outside contacts. I am 100% sure they would have had no objection. I should have done it two weeks earlier :-(
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Have I got this right, the test is free but you have to pay for treatment??
The test isn't free. You have to pay for bloodwork and treatment. The government hasn't ordered insurance companies to cover the cost of the testing. The tests are largely unavailable unless the CDC (federal government) reviews your particular case and orders testing. The virus is new, so the CDC is the only entity which has the testing capability.
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I think the worst part, besides getting sick, is the blatant disregard for health warnings some people do, and then there's the selfish grab for bloody toilet paper and other items because people are stupid at times. And lets not forget media disinformation and blatant stupidity. Makes for an awful mess doesn't it? I sincerely hope someone out there gets their s**t together and gets organised before it's way too late :(
The media does not report that 80% will get a mild case. It reports that IF you happen to get it, there's an 80% chance that it will be a mild case. For f***s sake, you are spending the exact kind of misinformation that you're trying to complain about.
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The misinformation is horrific. Im from EU, but our IT corporation issued a statement that precautions were taken to limit the threat such as antibacterial liquids at the gates of each building. Biggest bS ever - they ran out after 2 hours. Also we are supposedly to be ready to go fully remote but the truth is the whole VPN neetwork died when a couple of thousands people were ordered to get it. So now only 1/4th got remote. But officially we are ready, safe and precautions are made... Sa,e goes probably with the media information. Heck some of us are suspsectinmg we already went through it (many were sick last week and ooo) or are going with super light symptoms. Terrible situation.
Well, you can't blame the health system for companies not being prepared.
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Here in Oregon all schools just shut down until April 1st, and if the virus is still at large then online school starts.
Higher education is online now in Nevada. Students that went out state were all sent home within the last two weeks. Public K-12 schools still open, for now.
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Well at least Will isn't running around making outlandish generalizations.
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I feel like this covid19 has been spreading in our communities for a while. My family had a crazy cold/ flu last month that we have never experienced or heard of before. I didn't get it but my 2 kids (under 3 y/o), 34 y/o partner, and over 60 mom got it. My partner described it as all over body aches, a terribly painful cough without mucus, incredibly sore throat, stomach cramps, throwing up, and diarrhea. My kids were throwing up everywhere daily. They were sick for a full 2 weeks before it got any better. We caught it from a sick child at my pediatrician's office who was playing with my daughter. The father of the child didn't even bother to warn us that ther boy was sick. My partner only figured it out when the kid started coughing on my daughter after several minutes if playing together😵
Those symptoms don't match corvid, but are spot on for influenza.
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I notice that each posting comment on here seems to complain about their own country, looking to blame the government (or their least favorite politician) for the state of things. But the fact is that NO country is prepared for this kind of thing. Disasters always hit us by surprise, and people always die. This is a huge part of what we call The Human Condition. The fact is, life is full of suffering and struggle. It is not the fault of any one politician, party, ideology, etc. Human beings have very little control over our existence. All of our cultural and technological efforts are aimed at changing this profound vulnerability. But this tiny little virus is here to tell us that cars, computers, air conditioning, polyester, etc. have not changed the fundamental relationships in the world. There is no health care system equipped for this. Every country is a third world country. No human system is more powerful than the universe of unpredictable things. Some day you will die.
The Feds need to get the tests from China and South Korea, do some due-diligence, then start pounding out these test kits as fast as they can. The response by the "president" and the feds has been terrible, with a few exceptions like Dr Fuchi. Call your congresscritters about this. If they are republicans, give them no mercy, because they are part of the problem.
Even if Democrats get the presidency and create a state healthcare system, their other measures will make the system unable to function.
Surely now the US public can see that the Trump administration really isn't as great as the supporters claim they are. Didn't Donald Trump fire his entire medical delegation several months ago who were known experts in their field and new exactly what to do and how to test for Covid-19 ? This is an election year for Donald Trump and this might actually be the end for him.
Well that's some scary s**t. Now I just became 100% more paranoid than I already was.
This is terrifying...think of all these people this is happening to, unknowingly spreading this illness...as the experts keep saying, it will certainly get worse before it gets better.
The there's those who don't seem to take it seriously. An Australian returned from France to Australia, got tested (so the presumption is he was reasonably high risk or he would not have got the test), then hopped on a plane (full of people) to New Zealand. Was eating out in a cafe (full of people) when he got a call that he was positive. What a selfish idiot. Now he's self-isolating in a NZ hotel putting more people here at risk. There are very few legitimate reasons to leave your own country right now. If you crew a cargo plane or a cargo ship, yes, we need you moving to supply the world, but the rest of us can just stay in your own country.
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What about the democratic establishment, c**k-blocking Bernie for the second election in a row?
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Testing is critical because it can identify to local epicenters where the contagion can be isolated and eliminated. If you don't know where it is, it always remains a threat. Singapore found that widespread testing is the best strategy to eliminating epidemics, having suffered several other outbreaks.
Load More Replies... There are some really s****y things about the US. If you think it's perfect here, you need to take off the blinders. It's not the worst country in the world, by far, but there is SIGNIFICANT room for improvement. Our health care on a national level is a joke, unless you're willing to go bankrupt or are in the upper 25% of the population. We have an enormous amount of children that don't know where their next meal is coming from. We have an abnormally large amount of incarcerated persons. We have way too many illiterate and undereducated people. There are way too many places where basic services, including access to reliable first responders, is hit or miss. We can't be bothered enacting laws to ensure that basic civil rights are available to all citizens (you can legally be fired for being gay, you can legally be denied an apartment or house sale based on being gay). Our veterans Administration isn't taking care of our soldiers and they are dying, homeless, in the streets, from suicide relating to PTSD, from basic health care issues because the VA is understaffed and underfunded. Our infrastructure is literally crumbling, dams, roads, airports, etc. They haven't been "worked on" since the New Deal in the 1930s. We have a growing "working poor" class and a shrinking "middle class." We have race tensions. But hey - we "won" the non-existent war on Christmas 🙄
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Except it's the same in Australia-- A know a couple of my mom's friends who got the flu after being visited by an Italian friend of theirs 5 weeks ago. 2 weeks later both were sick. The Italian lady was 100% fine by the way and had zero symptoms at all. My mom's friend went to the doctor and asked about COVID-19 and her proximity to the Italian friend but because the Italian friend didn't get any symptoms and neither did anyone on the plane they came in on, she didn't meet the criteria of COVID-19 testing in Australia and so wasn't tested. Moreover, her doctor said she had 'just a cold' because their symptoms were mild. Both women recovered and are fine now a week later but was it COVID-19?? We don't know and they refuse to test after the fact. Now we know there are mild cases and asymptomatic carriers etc so it could have well been Coronavirus. We self-isolated from those friends just in case but yeah, the US is not the only place not adequately testing people. :\
Load More Replies... Health care in the United States - an oxymoron, and a joke. When a health care system puts profits ahead of patients, c**p like this happens. Unless we get our act together, when The Big One hits - the pandemic that will spread faster than juicy celebrity gossip, and have a high mortality rate - we are f###ed. Those who point out this country's failings are not bashing the U S., they are offering constructive criticism.
But hey, others countries are to be blamed! Much easier than saving the world together.
President Trump, in his televised statement, was very clear in referring to Covid 19 as a "foreign virus."
Load More Replies... "They sent me home with antibiotics" suggests the doctor doesn't believe it's viral at all.
Yeah - or just hoped that it wasn't. Though if it is viral then prescribing antibiotics is a really irresponsible thing to do. Chances are that they won't work if/when he needs them.
Load More Replies... Last I read the US has tested fewer than 5,000 people. South Korea has set up drive-through testing booths and is testing 15,000 people a day. Our CDC has been losing funding for several years. Two years ago trump got rid of the pandemic medical group to save money. These politicians need to stop calling themselves conservatives. Real conservatives, whether people or countries, plan for the future and prepare for foreseeable problems. They don't limit their values to short-term profit for the lucky few.
Trump doesn't want everyone to get tested because it will show the truth of the situation and prove he is a horrible president who can't handle emergencies like this
The Syrian bombing campaign started during Obama's term, but he got the Nobe peace prize. This is what happens when the media is owned by your friends. If this had happened during Obama's term, the same media would have lied about the situation.
Load More Replies... I will probably get downvoted for not being patriotic enough, but I am an American and I can honestly say that our country has become nothing more than a joke and a shame and we have no one to blame but our politicans. They sit up and argue over who is right, meanwhile I come from a family that is full of nothing but people with compromised immune systems: my father is a kidney transplant patient who has spinal stenosis and he is 63 years old. My mother has very bad sinus problems and carpal tunnel syndrome. My aunt is a dialysis patient and former transplant patient. I have asthma and currently right now an abscessed tooth. Let's not forget my sister who has absence seizures. Any member of my family could get COVID19 and die right now because of our compromised immune systems and our country is totally unprepared for that. I am 34 years old, but I still don't think that this is something that our elderly and small children should be worried about. Let's stop arguing and pray. Peace.
The way the UK and the USA are dealing with this is terrifying. I'm British and we are now only testing those in hospital. Things are going to get bad.
Went to a walk-in for a work physical two Monday's ago. This Monday I went to the mall for a few things. Target. Ulta. Touched only what I needed to get. Back home and washed straight off. This Tuesday I started feeling punky. Coughing lots. On an off fever. Headache. Wednesday I felt worse. Night sweats Monday into Tuesday. Tuesday into Wednesday just exhausted. Thursday I left work after 2 hours. Bought some oj. Came hone. Crashed. Didn't go to work Friday (today). Sad because I'd go to the walk-in but they don't test for covid. I know it's not flu. I'm not vomiting. I have the poops. Sore throat. Fever on an off. Cough. Chest is a little tight. Took hot steam shower. Fluids. If I study home I'll be broke. I wore a mask Thursday (we have them for work we do the construction style)and have it in my car. I'll wear disposable gloves if I go out tomorrow. Why aren't tests out there. I'm in Connecticut. Mouth is feeling little raw now too.
It is sad that you went to work Tueday to Thursday while feeling ill. This is how viruses spread. I assume though, where you say "If I study home I'll be broke" that's a typo and you meant "stay home" and that means you have no paid sick leave? People with no paid sick leave are another reason this thing will spread so easily, not just the cost of being tested. Many employers in NZ provide unlimited paid sick leave now. It keeps their workforce healthy overall. Proof is required from a doctor that you're actually sick of course, to avoid people abusing the privilege. Expensive doctors and no paid sick leave will see this thing spread rapidly.
Load More Replies... It's not a government conspiracy. It's all of us shooting from the hip because we've never dealt with this before, and we are learning as we go. That being said, Singapore is a good example of how a structured government run health care system has been integral in their so-far low case numbers and quick identification. No I'm not a socialist or communist. But this is a perfect example of why PUBLIC HEALTH is in fact in the best interest of the WHOLE public, and why our healthcare system should be government run and not dominated by for-profit industries. - US physician
She was told to come back to work right after this?! I've NEVER IN MY LIFE heard of a cold or flu acting like what her husband got. My workplace would have said, "Yes, please! By all means, stay home! For god's sakes!" Then again, my company is based in the UK. (I live in the US.) Also, I have the option of working from home. They would never, ever gripe about someone working from home if they are feeling sickish, not now, not ever.
Before my workplace told everyone to work from home starting this week, I was going to say I was going to work from home starting this week because my son who lives with me has a lot f outside contacts. I am 100% sure they would have had no objection. I should have done it two weeks earlier :-(
Load More Replies... Have I got this right, the test is free but you have to pay for treatment??
The test isn't free. You have to pay for bloodwork and treatment. The government hasn't ordered insurance companies to cover the cost of the testing. The tests are largely unavailable unless the CDC (federal government) reviews your particular case and orders testing. The virus is new, so the CDC is the only entity which has the testing capability.
Load More Replies... I think the worst part, besides getting sick, is the blatant disregard for health warnings some people do, and then there's the selfish grab for bloody toilet paper and other items because people are stupid at times. And lets not forget media disinformation and blatant stupidity. Makes for an awful mess doesn't it? I sincerely hope someone out there gets their s**t together and gets organised before it's way too late :(
The media does not report that 80% will get a mild case. It reports that IF you happen to get it, there's an 80% chance that it will be a mild case. For f***s sake, you are spending the exact kind of misinformation that you're trying to complain about.
Load More Replies... The misinformation is horrific. Im from EU, but our IT corporation issued a statement that precautions were taken to limit the threat such as antibacterial liquids at the gates of each building. Biggest bS ever - they ran out after 2 hours. Also we are supposedly to be ready to go fully remote but the truth is the whole VPN neetwork died when a couple of thousands people were ordered to get it. So now only 1/4th got remote. But officially we are ready, safe and precautions are made... Sa,e goes probably with the media information. Heck some of us are suspsectinmg we already went through it (many were sick last week and ooo) or are going with super light symptoms. Terrible situation.
Well, you can't blame the health system for companies not being prepared.
Load More Replies... Here in Oregon all schools just shut down until April 1st, and if the virus is still at large then online school starts.
Higher education is online now in Nevada. Students that went out state were all sent home within the last two weeks. Public K-12 schools still open, for now.
Load More Replies... Well at least Will isn't running around making outlandish generalizations.
Load More Replies... I feel like this covid19 has been spreading in our communities for a while. My family had a crazy cold/ flu last month that we have never experienced or heard of before. I didn't get it but my 2 kids (under 3 y/o), 34 y/o partner, and over 60 mom got it. My partner described it as all over body aches, a terribly painful cough without mucus, incredibly sore throat, stomach cramps, throwing up, and diarrhea. My kids were throwing up everywhere daily. They were sick for a full 2 weeks before it got any better. We caught it from a sick child at my pediatrician's office who was playing with my daughter. The father of the child didn't even bother to warn us that ther boy was sick. My partner only figured it out when the kid started coughing on my daughter after several minutes if playing together😵
Those symptoms don't match corvid, but are spot on for influenza.
Load More Replies... I notice that each posting comment on here seems to complain about their own country, looking to blame the government (or their least favorite politician) for the state of things. But the fact is that NO country is prepared for this kind of thing. Disasters always hit us by surprise, and people always die. This is a huge part of what we call The Human Condition. The fact is, life is full of suffering and struggle. It is not the fault of any one politician, party, ideology, etc. Human beings have very little control over our existence. All of our cultural and technological efforts are aimed at changing this profound vulnerability. But this tiny little virus is here to tell us that cars, computers, air conditioning, polyester, etc. have not changed the fundamental relationships in the world. There is no health care system equipped for this. Every country is a third world country. No human system is more powerful than the universe of unpredictable things. Some day you will die.
The Feds need to get the tests from China and South Korea, do some due-diligence, then start pounding out these test kits as fast as they can. The response by the "president" and the feds has been terrible, with a few exceptions like Dr Fuchi. Call your congresscritters about this. If they are republicans, give them no mercy, because they are part of the problem.
Even if Democrats get the presidency and create a state healthcare system, their other measures will make the system unable to function.
Surely now the US public can see that the Trump administration really isn't as great as the supporters claim they are. Didn't Donald Trump fire his entire medical delegation several months ago who were known experts in their field and new exactly what to do and how to test for Covid-19 ? This is an election year for Donald Trump and this might actually be the end for him.
Well that's some scary s**t. Now I just became 100% more paranoid than I already was.
This is terrifying...think of all these people this is happening to, unknowingly spreading this illness...as the experts keep saying, it will certainly get worse before it gets better.
The there's those who don't seem to take it seriously. An Australian returned from France to Australia, got tested (so the presumption is he was reasonably high risk or he would not have got the test), then hopped on a plane (full of people) to New Zealand. Was eating out in a cafe (full of people) when he got a call that he was positive. What a selfish idiot. Now he's self-isolating in a NZ hotel putting more people here at risk. There are very few legitimate reasons to leave your own country right now. If you crew a cargo plane or a cargo ship, yes, we need you moving to supply the world, but the rest of us can just stay in your own country.
Load More Replies... What about the democratic establishment, c**k-blocking Bernie for the second election in a row?
Load More Replies... Testing is critical because it can identify to local epicenters where the contagion can be isolated and eliminated. If you don't know where it is, it always remains a threat. Singapore found that widespread testing is the best strategy to eliminating epidemics, having suffered several other outbreaks.
Load More Replies... There are some really s****y things about the US. If you think it's perfect here, you need to take off the blinders. It's not the worst country in the world, by far, but there is SIGNIFICANT room for improvement. Our health care on a national level is a joke, unless you're willing to go bankrupt or are in the upper 25% of the population. We have an enormous amount of children that don't know where their next meal is coming from. We have an abnormally large amount of incarcerated persons. We have way too many illiterate and undereducated people. There are way too many places where basic services, including access to reliable first responders, is hit or miss. We can't be bothered enacting laws to ensure that basic civil rights are available to all citizens (you can legally be fired for being gay, you can legally be denied an apartment or house sale based on being gay). Our veterans Administration isn't taking care of our soldiers and they are dying, homeless, in the streets, from suicide relating to PTSD, from basic health care issues because the VA is understaffed and underfunded. Our infrastructure is literally crumbling, dams, roads, airports, etc. They haven't been "worked on" since the New Deal in the 1930s. We have a growing "working poor" class and a shrinking "middle class." We have race tensions. But hey - we "won" the non-existent war on Christmas 🙄
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