'Absolutely chilling': Reports from frontlines of coronavirus outbreak reveal roadblocks to testing,

[turbinetree]

Published 2 hours ago on March 7, 2020
By Common Dreams

“Recall that this refusal to test fits a pattern: This the same president who railed against attempts to count the dead in Puerto Rico post-Maria… Ignorance is a lethal political tool.”

As President Donald Trump drew harsh rebukes Friday for downplaying the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., accounts from people on the frontlines of the outbreak that’s affected more than 100,000 people worldwide so far revealed a “chilling” lack of urgency from the U.S. government regarding the need to contain the spread of the respiratory illness.

On Thursday evening, Vice News journalist Julia Lindau returned from reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, where more than 4,600 people have tested positive for the illness—only to pass through U.S. Customs without being screened for potentially having come into contact with the virus.

“They didn’t ask me where in Italy I went or if I came into contact with sick people,” tweeted Lindau. “They didn’t ask me anything.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/absolutely-chilling-reports-from-frontlines-of-coronavirus-outbreak-reveal-roadblocks-to-testing-lack-of-safety-protocols/

[getagrip_already]

1. The statement read by the nurse is worth listening to....

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1235701516591419392&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2F2020%2F03%2Fabsolutely-chilling-reports-from-frontlines-of-coronavirus-outbreak-reveal-roadblocks-to-testing-lack-of-safety-protocols%2F

[7wo7rees]

2. Just simply stunning. N/T

[pat_k]

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

get tested

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213053001

[KYBlue]

4. Also those being tested are being charged thousands of dollars for it

I read a news article about one person who was tested for corona virus and was charged thousands of dollars for it which will only discourage even more people from taking the tests when they become more readily available.

[pat_k]

5. Cuomo directive requires insurers to waive cost sharing...

Every governor needs to do this.

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-new-directive-requiring-new-york-insurers-waive-cost-sharing

Don't know if Cuomo's directive covers it, but every governor also has to do something about waiving costs incurred by the uninsured.