Seattle Times: 'Press 3 for coronavirus:' Even a woman at outbreak's epicenter can't ...

[pat_k]

Seattle Times
Danny Westneat
March 6
‘Press 3 for coronavirus:’ Even a woman at outbreak’s epicenter can’t cut through bureaucracy to get tested

When state and county officials announced last weekend they were taking extraordinary measures to contain the new coronavirus, Kathy Jackson figured she had news they’d be interested in.

She’s a vendor for a company that services nursing homes. Last Friday, she was doing her rounds on the Eastside and visited five of the facilities — including Life Care Center of Kirkland, which the next day was revealed to be the epicenter of the disease’s outbreak in America.

Two days later, on Sunday, Jackson also got sick. Fever, cough, some shortness of breath — the symptoms for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

“My first thought was, ‘Oh no, I have it,’” Jackson said Thursday from her home in Kirkland. “My second thought was worse — ‘Oh no, I was going around visiting nursing homes and assisted care facilities. What if I spread it to them?’”

Jackson, 71, also had gone, on Saturday, to a crowded gymnastics meet in Woodinville for her grandson.

But what happened next floored her more than the illness has. She hasn’t been able to get tested — at least until the press called — to get anyone to listen to her story.

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[Ms. Toad]

1. But I just heard Trump say that as of yesterday and today

everyone who wants to be tested can get tested.

You mean he's lying to us?

[cwydro]

2. There's that nurse too, that someone posted a video of here.

Her boss read a statement of her situation- quarantined and unable to get tested.

We are really screwed.

[pat_k]

5. Saw that...

...here's her written statement from the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United:

https://act.nationalnursesunited.org/page/-/files/graphics/NU-Quarantine-RN-press-conf-statement.pdf

[pat_k]

4. It's all about the definition of "needs a test"

DT:

“As of right now and yesterday anybody that needs a test – that’s the important thing – and the tests are all perfect,”

Seems to me the only people who "need a test" according to DT and his admin are people who are already exhibiting severe symptoms... people who need to be hospitalized and would be quarantined upon arrival at the hospital no matter what -- no test or positive test.

Talk about closing the barn doors after the horses have fled.

What about efforts to contain In the Community? What about contact tracing and testing, symptomatic or not?

Reportedly, we can't even manage to test those identified as people under investigation (PUIs) who are showing symptoms severe enough to require monitoring.

And of course, no testing of "self-referred" people showing symptoms, even if they live with, or work with, or have had contact with, highly vulnerable others.

[Ms. Toad]

8. The word was wants, in at least one portion of the video I heard. n/t

ETA: Here it is -

Then Trump jumped in: “Anybody who wants a test will get a test, that’s the bottom line.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/maybe-i-have-a-natural-ability-trump-plays-medical-expert-on-coronavirus-by-second-guessing-the-professionals/2020/03/06/3ee0574c-5ffb-11ea-9055-5fa12981bbbf_story.html

[pat_k]

9. Ah... I must have a different segment.

The usual dsjointed, illogical, internally contradictory, Trump ramble.

[Ms. Toad]

10. Yup. n/t

[KT2000]

3. What was Pence's presser about?

He said test were now available for everyone. These idiots can never complain about Hollywood as they are nothing but bad actors all!

[pat_k]

6. Gee Wiz. So five kits is enough for "everyone" in Kansas City?

https://www.kcur.org/post/kansas-city-health-department-addresses-confusion-over-its-number-coronavirus-test-kits

In a briefing to the Kansas City Council on Thursday morning, Rex Archer, head of the Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department, said he wanted to make something clear: The city, so far, hadn’t received any of the kits it had requested to test for the new coronavirus....

Later on Thursday, Pence admitted to reporters that demand for the kits exceeded supply. But also later on Thursday, Archer confirmed to KCUR that five kits had arrived that afternoon....

What remained unclear was whether those five kits were enough to test five people or thousands of people.

Seeking to confirm the city's capacity for testing, KCUR asked Archer whether one kit tests one person. "Yes," he said.

This appeared to contradict information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says each kit can test approximately 700 to 800 specimens.

In response to a follow-up email requesting clarification, health department public information officer Michelle Pekarsky wrote in an e-mail: “one kit, one person.”

No contact tracing. No testing of self-referred symptomatic, even if they live with, work with, or have been in close contact with the most vulnerable people.

She went on to explain that each kit is enough to obtain three different specimens from one person ("nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and sputum" — basically from the nose, throat and sputum), which the health department sends to the state for testing.

In an earlier article on the KC kits, it sounded like they wouldn't be getting any more until these were used, and that these would only be used to test people severe enough to require hospitalization.

I think the "containment" bus has left the building. They are just planning to deal with the fallout.... see no evil, hear no evil, until cases show up at the hospital.

[UpInArms]

7. Dear dog

We are so f**cked