The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Americans face testing delays as virus surges
By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and SOPHIA TULP LOS ANGELES©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
33 Comments
PTownsend
But many more know throughout the pandemic there have been failures of 'leadership'. At all levels, starting at the top.
The failures continue, in part because those 'leaders' have the best healthcare possible whereas dozens of millions of their fellow citizens don't. The 'leaders' are showing they care zip about general population. Maintaining their personal wealth and power trumps the needs of the general population.
This era is seeing the greatest class separation in US history. Trump's been the best thing ever for his fellow 'elite'.
The USA is rapidly becoming a banana republic.
Graham DeShazo
So. Much. Winning. November 3rd cannot come fast enough.
vanityofvanities
What meaning does it have in testing while there is no cure medicine? Doctors are saying if the symptoms are not serious, stay home and relax like the cases of influenza. Testing and hospital beds have to be reserved for serious cases.
nostromo
Not surprising given there is no universal medical health care system in the States. That would be too much like "socialism" and we can't have that when there is money to be made.
Serrano
Not surprising given there is no universal medical health care system in the States
We don't want government-run health care. Even Biden is against Bernie's Medicare For All.
Silvafan
Of course, there are problems getting tested! The GOP and trump supporters don't want the facts because it makes them look even more incompetent!
trump bragged about it at his pathetic rally in tulsa.
His slimeball son-in-law has been pushing it too!
ABL baseball players will get tested for COVID-19 every two days!
How often will teachers and students get tested?
extanker
When I came down with symptoms, the ER told me not to come in even though I was high risk. They wouldn't test me. I called my insurance company and they told me to be at one of their drive-up testing locations nearby at 9AM and I would get tested. I pulled up and there was no one else waiting. They told me it might be a week or more to get results but I got a phone call with the results the next morning (positive unfortunately).
I don't know why some of the harder hit regions aren't reaching out to the areas with lighter workloads to speed things up. Overnighting test samples will still get results faster than a lot of these hard hit places can.
Serrano
Currently more than 40 million can't afford healthcare.
If we can ever kick the Democrats and the RINOS out of power in the House and Senate this will be addressed. The Democrats want government-run health care.
Silvafan
@vanity
If you know that you are infected then common decency would tell you to stay away from those who are more vulnerable. Asymptomatic as well as those with symptoms can infect others!
It is unfortunate to see how some of you were raised!
nostromo
When you say we, you mean the private health care funds and vested interests who over-charge and under-provide for the members who can afford it?
PTownsend
'We'? Are you speaking for retired US military members, or the general population.
https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/428958-poll-voters-want-the-government-to-provide-healthcare-for
Silvafan
@Serrano
Oh yeah nothing spells success like 43 million unemployed, 12 years of job growth lost, 50,000 new infections per day, 130,000 lives lost with no end in sight, millions going hungry, thousands of small business bankruptcies, food shortages, medical supply shortages, test kit shortages, trillions of new national debt, trillions of corporate welfare pissed away supporting Dawny's campaign donors with zero return on investment, widespread relief fund fraud, millions soon to be homeless, suffering the largest one week stock market losses since the crash of 1987, the biggest economic decline since the Great Depression, and riots in most major cities. This must be that "great progress" that Mike Pence was talking about last week?
Yubaru
But the ruler of the US says everything is perfect in the US, in fact they are testing far too much and need to lower the number of tests to start bringing the number of infections down, so he can forcibly make everyone go out and get infected!
Peter Neil
Yes, this is correct.
Americans prefer to have no health insurance, or unaffordable health insurance, or outrageous co-payments, prescription drug prices 10 to 20 times more expensive for the exact same same drugs than Japan or other 1st-world countries, people lined up out the doors waiting for hours at emergency rooms because they couldn't afford to go to the doctor earlier in the progress of their condition, government having to pay for people anyway who can't afford to pay since they have no affordable insurance.
They would prefer to go back to being excluded from insurance because they have a pre-existing condition such as a hangnail that makes them pay an expensive premium or get no coverage at all.
Americans prefer that the government has to pick up the bill anyway for non-government run healthcare when they're in the hospital for a week and skip out on the $30,000 bill because only pansy liberals have fancy insurance.
Then you have the backwards ball cap wearing people who barely eek out a living at $12/h who need everyone in the family to work to afford a dumpy apartment who say that they don't want no government run healthcare because only smug liberals want to have decent healthcare. So they vote in some red hat yahoo, then are shocked to learn that they won't get their Medicaid anymore because it's a government program for poor people and they forgot that they were on the program.
vanityofvanities
It is said 80% of the positive people will heal without becoming serious. As Trump says "do not test," I do not test. I do not want to be isolated and given unproven medicine that might get my health worse.
kurisupisu
It’s unbelievable that in the US,basic healthcare is exorbitantly expensive-!
Meanwhile the worst pandemic in a hundred years continues to spread.,,
Silvafan
@vanity
So....since you are infected and survive, you don't care if you infect and/or kill some others?
It is unfortunate to see how some of you were raised!
PTownsend
The attitude of the compassion-free: I'm fine, screw the 20%.
AgentX
I'm no genius but, that lowers the mortality rate quite a bit, no?
Factor in that some American doctors have revealed how they have been pressured to list causes of death as COVID-19 when there were other determining factors.
The world is being ripped apart and people still aren't ready to have these conversations?
What happened to people...
Silvafan
AgentX
Like HIV and AIDS, people don't actually die from COVID-1; they die from complications related to COVID-19.
1glenn
At no point has the USA had adequate testing for Covid-19. Putin must be so thrilled with what he got for his money.
I found a way to get tested for both Covid-19 and the antibodies associated with the illness; I gave blood with the Red Cross. They offer free testing when one donates blood.
i@n
Great tip =)
Was this here in Japan?
Been wanting to do that since I first came, never got around to it
Goodlucktoyou
Good point, they actually test.
Bad points, 10 working days for results of a test believed to be between 64-80% accurate, infection in between test and results and the massive task of contact tracing.
Goodlucktoyou
That is fine jolly apart recent research indicating a link to possible permanent organ damage, reinfection after antibodies decline and THIS
lincolnman
As our Great Stable Genius President has said, we're doing great! The US is winning! The virus will soon disappear!
And testing - as Trump has said, he's slowing it down - we don't need more bad numbers...ignore them - and they will go away...
America is being invaded by an enemy - and given the number of infections and deaths, we are losing the war.
In fact, our President is complicit in helping the enemy, with his ridiculous suggestions that it is "contained", recommendation to "inject disinfectant, and outrageous statements on distancing and masks...
Every day he proves he's more and more of a clown and buffoon...and on average 500 more Americans die...
stormcrow
There's no need to fear, America's health care system is here!
What a mess! It's certainly proven how ineffective it is this time, especially under poor presidential leadership.
Graham DeShazo
But I thought the tests were “beautiful”, and that anyone who wanted one could get one?
(if you’re willing to wait for 5-12 hours in your car and 5-10 days for results).
rainyday
There is a massive difference between knowing all you have is a cold that you don't need to worry about and knowing that you have a disease that could easily kill your parents or grandparents if you go near them.
lincolnman
And the virus is surging across America - and we know one reason why;
President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa in late June that drew thousands of participants and large protests "likely contributed" to a dramatic surge in new coronavirus cases, Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart said Wednesday.
Tulsa County reported 261 confirmed new cases on Monday, a one-day record high, and another 206 cases on Tuesday. By comparison, during the week before the June 20 Trump rally, there were 76 cases on Monday and 96 on Tuesday.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/health-official-trump-rally-likely-182736971.html
Well who could have predicted that, maybe just Trump's CDC, his Health and Human Services Dept, and every other medical expert in the world...
And sorry Trump rally attendees, you did sign that waiver before you went, giving up all rights to blame Trump for your infection. Go talk to someone else about your medical bills...
Isn't "winning" great?
SuperLib
Sorry to hear that. Wishing you the best.
rainyday
That sucks, I hope you have a safe and speedy recovery.
quercetum
59,000 cases today in the US. Tulsa’s top health official said the Trump campaign rally there last month may have contributed to a recent surge in cases.