Two very simple and direct questions for the goddam "task force":

[Atticus]

1.) If someone starts feeling sick and suspects coronavirus infection, what EXACTLY should they do?

2.) Why in hell don't we have "drive thru testing"---where people get swabbed IN THEIR CARS--- like other countries?

The answer to #1 should be repeated each time you go on TV to tell us how lucky we are that we have Trump.

[dewsgirl]

1. +1000

[spanone]

2. This is the 'Kiss trump's Ample Ass' task force and they're doing one Heckuva job.

If they spent as much time getting people tested as they have kissing his ass, we'd be much farther down the road.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

17. I wonder how much longer it will be safe

to kiss his *ss?

[hlthe2b]

3. WA and CO are beginning drive through testing. The bottle neck is physician order, though

We have to rely on states leading the way.

[eleny]

15. Requests and orders could be handled by phone and fax

Orders for blood work are routinely handled by fax. So hope the drive through testing is handled expeditiously. It's just common sense.

[hlthe2b]

16. Yes. The problem is for those without a personal physician and the uninsured.

Most physicians are understandably reluctant to do so for someone they've never examined nor even met.

[eleny]

18. Good point!

[hatrack]

4. U Washington is already doing drive-throughs . . .

So far, it's just for area medical and hospital/clinic staff, but they can expand fairly quickly.

https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/uw-rolls-out-drive-through-covid-19-testing-site

[Travel Hat]

5. Best guess at the infection rates

Okay, just the back of the napkin number crunch for infection rates.
Let’s compare US to South Korea.
About the same health care and financial systems.
Some differences in population density and so forth, but I’m strictly doing math. I also understand SK did a much better job of testing.
The US has 327M people. SK has 51M. That comes out that the US is about 6.4 times larger than SK.
If you take the infection amount of SK, 7755 people, and the population difference of 6.4, multiply the two together, we could have ~49,632 people infected here in the US. Not the 1039 as listed this morning.
Like I said, there are many other variables. But it’s very sobering.

[Maraya1969]

8. Thank you for those numbers. And welcome to DU!

[Travel Hat]

11. Your welcome

In December I booked flights to Beijing for this month. I reschedule that for September. Then I booked Amtrak from Chicago to DC for the 25th of this month. Now I feel like I should just go out and buy a case of Kraft Mac and Cheese and sit this spring out.

[PA Democrat]

6. Are any states or localities running PSAs on TV and radio? Ads on social media?

We obviously can't rely on Trump and his band of incompetents.

[underpants]

7. CALL your Doctor

Don’t go to the office.

Azar actually mentioned this yesterday

[Atticus]

9. Understood, but I've read about people who did that and were told "Go to the

ER". When they call the ER, they are told "Call the Health Department". This is BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE A RESPECTED LEADER and the indecision and finger-pointing filter down to local officials. Our national motto has become "It's Not My Job!"

[Dennis Donovan]

10. I've read similar stories as well.

Dr's office says go to ER, ER says stay away and call the Health Dept. Health Dept says call your Dr.

[GeorgeGist]

12. Drs I know rarely take calls directly from patients.

So good luck with that.

[underpants]

14. Well it's probably the staff

I’d hope that offices have created some sort of protocol to assess/triage over the phone.

Also some areas have urgent care home visits which are about the same as going to a Patient First type place.

I’m lucky. We have a live health thing where I can talk to a Dr or PA through an app.

[librechik]

13. Denver just got a drive through testing site. Our local docs

Our healthcare system in Denver is very much a prototype of Medicare for all. Anybody can sign up, 0 dollars + sliding scale.

Our nurses and docs and respiratory therapists will run through a bazooka attack to help us. I'm sure most places are just like them.

This is EXACTLY what to do:
If you feel sick, sit down, get on your phone and start dialing.You can ask the operator at 411 who to call. "Ask A Nurse" is most everywhere, they are a national service and they can direct you to local resources.

Go online or to the drug store and get a box of puffs with lotion, a gallon of gatorade, and a thermometer. If you can't get your breath, call 911 and warn them you have symptoms.