As COVID-19 Spreads Across The US, We Still Aren’t testing people.

What you fail to realize is that there is still alot that isn't known about this virus. Officials still don't know how long the virus lasts on surfaces. They aren't sure how long the incubation period is or if it can be transfered while someone is asymtomatic. Thats why general testing will not do any good. Its possible to be a carrier and still not be positive in a test. Only 6500 tests have been given because those were the people who had virus symptoms after doctor evaluation. We dont need every hypocondriac in America demanding tests over those who really need them. Its a waste of resources. Containment was never going to happens because of these reasons. Its also the reason mitigation suceeding is doubtful. The sooner people realize this the better, nothing can save you from getting it. Its all a matter of chance. 

The failures of containment are due to the delays in response. Other countries are containing it. Most are not, because they waited too long.

What you say about the nature of the coronavirus is true, but that still doesn't make Trump's advice of "do nothing," "wait until it gets warmer," and "go ahead and go to work and cough on everybody" a good idea. The awful part is that there are millions of droolers who took Trump's bigly scientific reassurances as gospel truth and happily went forth and helped spread Covid-19.

At this point, though, we should be focusing on mechanisms making it easier for people to seek testing and treatment. Pity we don't have universal health care or Obama's pandemic task force.

I was apparently mistaken. I thought that Kevin demanded that we listen to the health professionals.

Yes, that's what I said. Your point, whatever stupid thing you're trying to say? When did I say we shouldn't listen to health professionals?

I recommended additions to what they are advocating. I said that we should also support people whose livelihoods are being affected. That's a social issue, not the purview of health professionals as such.

 Rightdownthemiddle, sure there is a lot we don't know, but there is also a lot we do know.

South Korea undertook aggressive testing and isolation when their first cases were reported and they had a lot less lead time than we did. This is how their cases are distributed throughout their country.

Here is Thailand. Again with a lot less lead time but a lot more testing and isolation all of their cases are confined to Bangkok. They only have 54 cases there despite how quickly it made its way there. 

Here is the US. We did virtually no testing and no isolation. 

Even in Italy, there are no cases in the Southen half of the country.  Most of those dots on the US map are going to bloom into significant outbreaks given the model of how it worked in other countries. Again we still don't have widespread testing or any isolation like all of those other countries had. 

Trump was caught with his pants down and he has screwed the entire country. He shows every day his concern is limited to the market and nothing else. 

Kevin, the majority of health care professionals are saying that only those exhibiting symptoms should be tested.  I'm quite confident that you recently argued the Trump wasn't listeing to the professionals.  Which side of the fence are you on?  

Please give us some sources from those health care professionals. 

Mark, is it possible that China gave North Korea more accurate information than what they told "The West"?

Uh, it is South Korea and it is unlikely China gave them more information than anyone else.

They're saying that because of the severe shortage of test kits AND lab facilities than can process them, due to the Trump administration's incompetence, those who are exhibiting symptoms should be tested first. They have also said that people who have been in contact with those who are known to be infected should self-quarantine until testing is available.

So as you usually do, you're twisting what someone else said--they said that right now, until the situation improves, the critically small number of test kits should only be used on those who are exhibiting symptoms. They of course also said that testing people who are at risk because of contact with a known infected person or persons is a desirable goal--one that can't be attained as yet, due to Trump's incompetence.

So I agree--the tiny number of test kits available and the critically small capacity of the labs that process them should be used to evaluate people with symptoms--but I also agree that when we finally have a reasonable number of test kits, everybody who is potentially at-risk should be tested, whether or not they exhibit symptoms.

What you don't understand is that the medical professionals on Trump's team didn't say that people without symptoms should NEVER be tested--only that given that Trump crippled our ability to respond to the crisis, it's better to use the few testing kits available to test those with symptoms first.