>>>You're overthinking something very simple.
>>>1. There are not enough tests in the USA
>>>2. Trump (and some of his yes-men) have lied about it.
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>Really? On March 5, Pence said the US doesn't have enough tests to meet anticipated demand going forward. Direct quote:
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>“For those who we believe have been exposed, for those who are showing symptoms, we’ve been able to provide the testing... [but] we don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate the demand going forward.”
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>Do you know what has changed since then? And if even WAPO has been unable to trumpet legions of "I couldn't get the test I need!" stories or even a single one so far after over a week of inviting victims or physicians to report it, what's your purpose in making these sorts of declarations?
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>Certainly there was a CDC misstep wrt testing. Here's Redfield testifying to Congress on this:
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>JUST TO SAY VERY QUICKLY, CDC'S ROLE IN THIS WAS WE VERY RAPIDLY, WITHIN ALMOST SEVEN TO TEN DAYS, DEVELOPED A TEST FROM AN UNKNOWN PATHOGEN ONCE WE HAD THE SEQUENCE. AND WE DID THAT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO GET EYES ON IT AT CDC SO HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE NATION COULD SEND SAMPLES TO US AND WE WOULD TEST THEM. WE RAPIDLY TRIED TO EXPAND THAT AND SCALE IT UP WITH A CONTRACTOR. SO EACH PUBLIC HEALTH LAB IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD HAVE THAT TEST. DURING THE QUALITY CONTROL, ONE OF THE REAGENTS WASN'T WORKING APPROPRIATELY AND WE HAD TO MODIFY THAT WITH THE FDA. IT TOOK SEVERAL WEEKS TO GET THAT COMPLETED...
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>Suffice to say that this is not the first CDC misstep wrt diseases and dangerous pathogens that they managed to release in past administrations without POTUS being blamed for that.
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>The CDC fault was remedied in what appears to be record time, with Redfield also testifying that the test has been published so university and private labs can formulate and deliver testing themselves, independent of Public Health labs. With millions of tests now being delivered across the US, it ought to be possible to test anybody recommended by a physician.
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>In fairness, Fauci also testified that he'd like to see surveillance - meaning identification of populations of interest and effectively screening them. When a congressperson asked why the US can't replicate the drive-through testing implemented in South Korea, the response was that state labs simply don't have the equipment but that the private sector may be better geared in this respect.
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>Perhaps not yet revealed in some media, is that Trump and officials had a WH meeting with insurers today, all of whom have committed full cover for COVID-19 tests with any co-pays or limits waived. That would have to exclude any surveillance effort that would need to be centrally funded.
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>Whether any of this was too fast or slow or too (whatever) perhaps is better left for a non-literal post mortem focused on ways to fix problems, not the blame. For now, a bit of unity to ensure vulnerable groups are safe and health systems primed to look after any patient surges, might be less antisocial than constant Chicken-Littling.
Say that I go to the emergency room and I'm coughing have shortness of breath and a temp of 103 degrees. What is the difference in treatment I will get if I have H1N1 or COVID-19?