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© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Virus testing lag in U.S. is a 'failing,' health official says
By MIKE STOBBE and MATTHEW PERRONE NEW YORK©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
80 Comments
JJ Jetplane
This is why we need a national/affordable health care system. The prices some people have to pay is outrageous. People shouldn't have to weigh health over cost.
SimondB
On Tuesday across South Korea 10,000 corona virus test were taken. On the same day across the whole of USA there were 8 tests taken. Yes, 8. That is why the figures for the US remain low.
PTownsend
Which is an unfortunate but not surprising result. The US is governed by a president (impeached) leading a party that for decades has cared first and foremost for maintaining the wealth of the country's wealthiest, a president and party that have done little if anything to help the dozens of their citizens struggling to make healthcare payments, a president and party concerned mostly about COVID19's effects on corporation's profits and not the health of its citizenry.
A president and party that worry about the optics, how they (with Trump it's always about him) is perceived, and not the health of the public.
BTW How's Trump's 'better than Obamacare' coming along.
PTownsend
correction: should read
that have done little if anything to help the dozens of MILLIONS of their citizens struggling to make healthcare payments,
PTownsend
That's a perspective. Trump and his Republicans have been in power for 3 years. If Obamacare's so bad, what have they done to replace it.
rainyday
The cost of having an idiot who doesn’t know how to lead the country and can’t be bothered to even try to figure it out in charge.
Serrano
Obamacare has turned the US medical system into a mess.
Actually it was a mess before Obama came along and started fining people for refusing to pay for insurance they didn't want. At least they got rid of that part of it.
BTW How's Trump's 'better than Obamacare' coming along (?)
If the Republicans take back the House, Congress will pass some pretty sweeping reforms. Yeah, yeah, they didn't get anything done in 2017 or 2018 when they had the House as well as the Senate. Too many RINOS. You can thank good ol' John McCain for casting the deciding vote to keep the Obamacare mess.
stormcrow
Yes, America probably has the greatest doctors and hospitals in the world.
The big problem is that America also has one of the worst healthcare delivery systems in the world because most Americans can't afford it. If you're rich it's great, but if you're not rich it sux.
In this regard it really is a case of the haves vs. the have-nots.
Illyas
At first it sounded like the testing issues were entirely caused by the CDC's decision to develop it's own test and the initial defects in those kits, but this is increasingly sounding like a systemic issue with U.S. lab testing in general. Old and outdated methods and equipment goes beyond just the current administration or the insurance system being at fault. Rather this is starting to sound like a failing of our federal/state system and the lack of centralization and modernization of testing equipment.
Ah_so
If you are relatively poor in America and come down with the virus, you might not be able to afford to visit the doctor and have the test. You might not be able to afford to miss work.
This leads to the risk that people are going to work (as Trump said) and spreading it further (as Trump neglected to mention).
PTownsend
Trump and his fellow Republicans, like other 'elites' throughout history, have extremely limited perspectives re what it means to be a working, middle class wage earner. US politicians have the best health care taxpayer's money can buy, they don't lose wages for missing work. They're out of touch with the general population, in close touch with their wealthiest campaign donors, people, too with limited understanding of life for the majority. Same as it ever was.
SJ
At least, the US desperately tries to increase the testing capacity, contrast to Japan which does best to curb the number of test. To Japanese, "absence of evidence is evidence of absence". This kind of mindset is not just confined to the epidemic.
Busby
Dr Fauci, you're doing a superb job - you're only government official that is speaking facts and the truth.
Unfortunately for you, that means you'll soon feel the wrath of the Great Orange Moron who only traffics in positive spin and outright lies.
bass4funk
I think that’s an understatement.
bass4funk
And he’s the only person who’s a medical expert that everyone should listen to.
That just didn’t make any sense.
ulysses
Totally wrong.
Obamacare could have saved us from getting into a bigger mess.
Those with private insurance and those under medicare can get tested under this scheme.
However there are the uninsured, those who cannot afford to go to a doctor who pose a great risk. They are a ticking time-bomb due to the brainless policies of this sorry excuse for a President.
Busby
So why isn't Trump listening to him? Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease researcher, escalated his tone regarding the novel coronavirus outbreak during a congressional hearing Wednesday, suggesting that large gatherings across the country should be cancelled.
So explain why Trump's is still conducting his rallies?
bass4funk
If that were true then a lot of insurance companies wouldn’t have left the exchanges
https://money.cnn.com/2017/06/08/news/economy/obamacare-washington-state/index.html
I got mine.
I don’t see a single loser Democrat proposing a better idea, it’s easy to talk smack, but none of these Dems have a better solution that the CDC or the medical officials haven’t taken into consideration.
Illyas
He isn't.
bass4funk
Because Trump has the right to say his opinion, he has that right as an American. I personally wouldn’t go, that’s my decision and I think even if he were to hold one, it’s on you as a responsible adult to make that decision whether you want to go or not, I wouldn’t and that’s my choice. I don’t think he should hold a rally and as far as I know he’s not. As I have said many times, focus on what Dr. Fauci says and listen less to the msm, liberals in Washington and even the President. No need to panic.
PTownsend
Excellent criticism of Trump and his supporters who've long attacked, often for good reason, Obamacare, but have offered ZIP as alternative. Some so disingenuous they're expecting people to believe in Trump's second term he'll get 'er done. LOL And then when nothing happens they'll blame the deepstatemedialibsdems, the Joker and the orcs. SMH
theFu
I think everything said in the article is true, but not the whole truth.
So - the AP (reporters of this story) called some CDC PR 800 number at 6pm EDT and didn't get the question they had answered immediately.
Media bias can tell the truth and still be biased.
ulysses
Half baked news, if more states had expanded Medicaid under Obamacare the insurance companies would have remained.
Yawn..
And then
The uneducated followers of the man who was the biggest loser in America for decades should accept there is a big mess now, all because Donny wanted to play politics with the Coronavirus ...
bass4funk
Thank McCain.
Why wouldn’t he? Makes no sense, of course he would because you have Democrats that definitely want to retake the WH one day and they have to show the public and their constituents that they do indeed care about healthcare an in order to do that of course they will, they have to work with this President to make that happen.
Busby
Dodge - this issue is not about what Trump says, it's about what he does - he is flagrantly disregarding the advice of his chief medical expert in continuing to hold is rallies - someone you said is "the only medical expert that everyone should listen to"...
OK, so why isn't Trump listening to him?
bass4funk
Yeah, if...
That’s not how the economy sees him
No, because it was the media that politicize this, there’s more than enough footage on YouTube to prove it. The only thing that Trump did was give his opinions on it, but from CNN and msnbc they have been droning on and on with pushing this narrative as if the man created the virus. It’s so off the charts laughable. If people are stupid enough to not discern between the presidents opinion and that of the medical professionals, then they need serious help. Haters are so focused on Trump, they’re not even paying attention to Dr. Fauci.
Funny.
u_s__reamer
The American people have always stubbornly turned a deaf ear to "socialized" medical care, preferring to put their trust in the solicitous care of "Big Pharma" and their money (if they have any) into the pockets of the insurance industry. Since they are apparently refusing to listen to the sensible advice of Sanders, perhaps now as the contagion spreads exponentially maybe they will get more serious and listen to the lessons of Corona, which if my crystal ball is correct, is going to severely school them in the value and virtues of "socialism".
bass4funk
There are no rallies, so what is your concern?
I already explained that....
Jimizo
Some people look to Trump, the President of the US, as a leader. He has described himself as a stable genius with an extraordinarily high IQ who shocked medical professionals with his knowledge of this virus. There are people out there who swallow this.
You may regard these people as stupid for listening to Trump, but he should be sticking to the facts and with the advice of medical professionals.
Anything else is irresponsible.
Silvafan
Japan and the US are both purposely not testing to keep the numbers low. The US president already said that he would keep the infected on the cruise liner on the ship because it would keep the numbers low of optics.
He can't fudge the numbers with the stock market, though!
SJ
Because the fatality rate by the coronavirus increases exponentially with age, the novel plan of Abe in dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 strain may be to make the entire Japanese archipelago an incubator by deliberately delaying tests and counter-measures, selectively decimating aged people to fundamentally change the age structure of the Japanese population, eventually to boost and rejuvenate the Japanese economy.
bass4funk
Millions do, some don’t, obviously the haters don’t.
But the majority don’t.
I think people have the right to believe what they want.
He has been, but Trump will say what he wants. By the way, Biden is fundraising now, not a smart thing to do in this environment now, but I don’t expect the lib hit mob machine to follow up on this.
.
ulysses
I would suggest not bringing up the economy now, we are on a steep downhill slide because of the negligence of this administration.
The media reported what was happening, in other countries, and all Donny did was laugh it off, call it a hoax, tell everyone that it would disappear in days ...
Hate to point out but CNN and MSNBC have been proved right and Donny has been shown to be liar...
bass4funk
The Stock Market is a bit volatile, but not the overall economy.
But that was debunked that’s why the media stepped away from that.
And yet, their ratings are still in the toilet, but Trump pointed themselves out as fake news and they seem to be constantly losing people....not surprising.
PTownsend
As has been pointed out before, medical experts warned from the beginning we needed to err on the side of caution with COVID19 because they knew so little about it. But then reckless leaders like Trump and others dismissed their advice, throwing the country's health services so far behind they have to attempt to play catchup. Who knows where this will end up. Hopefully along the way blowhard, self-serving political hacks like Trump will step out of the expert's way. The worst leader possible in a situation like this.
PTownsend
What? ROFL
bass4funk
So why is Biden fundraising now, shouldn’t he be scaling back on that and try to work with this President on this issue?
What?
He isn’t in their way. Fauci can say and do whatever he wants. I listen to him.
I disagree
ulysses
I suggest you do some reading before making such ridiculous posts.
Do you know what is happening to the economy now? What this shutdown means across industries??
Totally false, everything has been proven true.
ROFL, is this a mature discussion??
ulysses
Right wing nutters fall back on calling everything fake when they are proven wrong.
Only thing in the toilets are their regressive minds!!
Burying your head in the sand will not make you intelligent!!!
Jimizo
In cases like this, you speak to the slowest pupil in the class. Sharper people of course ignore Trump’s nonsense, particularly in emergency situations, but there are people who do. This is the issue.
Trump can sometimes be funny and entertaining tweeting trash ( he’s doing his ‘sleepy Joe’ idiocy again ) but this is a serious situation. His handlers need to get a grip of him. This isn’t the time for s##tgibbonry.
plasticmonkey
@bass
--House Democrats have proposed the following plan:
--Emergency paid sick days
--Emergency paid leave
--Expanding food security
--Free coronavirus testing
--Increasing the capacity of the US medical system and ensuring affordable treatment
All of these proposals are sensible and workable. Mitch McConnell however is dismissing these proposals as a liberal "ideological wish list".
Meanwhile, Trump's plan is:
--Closing down travel from the EU, but not the UK or Ireland because he likes their leaders
--A payroll tax cut (which even Republicans think is a dumb idea)
--More golf outings for himself
--Diss the media and praise himself
nishikat
Who is going to pay for the medical treatments?
Tens of millions of uninsured under TrumpCare. Stock market is falling like Trump's casinos. Nothing has worked for Trump except saving fetuses. No wall. Just blaming Hillary.
SimondB
I take great comfort in the fact that doctors are in awe of Donald's knowledge of coronavirus. And anything else. The man is all-seeing.
bass4funk
That might just happen, fingers crossed.
Workable.... but who’s going to foot such a massive undertaking?
Mitch is more of a numbers guy, he must run the numbers and was more concerned about the cost of it.
He told you that. Liberals are now clairvoyants?
At this particular time, it might be a good idea and not all Republicans think it’s a bad idea, but it’s not and shouldn’t be the only plan.
What!
The media disses him and they praise themselves.
bass4funk
He is running for President is he not? He is a member of Congress, is he not? So again, why would he be doing that now?
Jimizo
Smh
bass4funk
Wait? He’s still running as a candidate and is a fixture of Washington and wants to be President, right? So why is he fundraising?
ROFL!
Chip Star
A: Democrats have no plan.
B: Thins is Dems plan.
A: Whose gonna pay for it all?
As if conservatives care about fiscal responsibility anymore. Trillion dollar deficit Donny took care of that.
Busby
+1
And;
Spread more conspiracy theories...
Eat more Big Macs (they're anti-viral you know)...
Blame China, our NATO allies, Obama, Hillary, Chuck, Nancy, et al....(but never Russia)
Watch more Rush Limbaugh, who thinks Corona is just the common cold...
Buy some of the miracle Corona vaccine advertised by Alex Jones on INFOWARs...
bass4funk
Really? Like?
I don’t get what toilets and CNN and msnbc and their sagging numbers have to do with the GOP.
Speaking of The Democrat establishment....
bass4funk
Well, liberals think we should have No military or a neutered one or we should create a U.N. police force....sure, sounds like a plan.
Jimizo
@Bass
What do you think ‘congressman’ Biden should do?
Chip Star
Yeah, the Democratic establishment is burying its head on the sand with these proposals:
--Emergency paid sick days
--Emergency paid leave
--Expanding food security
--Free coronavirus testing
--Increasing the capacity of the US medical system and ensuring affordable treatment
So true that Dems don’t think we should have a military, or it should be neutered. I know because I read every dem mind. Complete and utter nonsense saying this. Good lord. Smh. ROFL!
Some people simply don’t care how ignorant and juvenile they come across.
bass4funk
Besides suspending all fundraising activities? Make sure his people keep him under wraps especially now and guide and prepare him the best way they can until November.
Chip Star
Put on his stable genius caper and personally fight coronavirus. Unfortunately, Jimizo, you knew what answer to expect, and you got it: a purely irrelevant one.
Jimizo
But I what can he do specifically as a member of Congress?
nishikat
No it's to do with Trump. Trump made his tax cuts and with these corporate tax savings companies started buying their own stock and now that money is gone and this money could have gone to the treasury. GOP is fine. Please remember that Nixon invented Obamacare and Reagan gave out 3M green cards. The only thing Trump is doing is blaming Hillary.
Toasted Heretic
A debacle like no other.
Donald Trump claimed ‘We have tested heavily’ but in fact just eight tests were carried out on Tuesday, as even allies speak out
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/12/coronavirus-us-testing-failures-trump-administration
And, amazingly, people are blaming Obama.
He hasn't been PotUS for well over 3 years.
Who is in charge and why are they putting millions at risk?
Chip Star
Toasted: That’s just Donny's opinion. You shouldn’t listen to it, you should listen to the experts. Just disregard your reasonable understanding that a president knows what they are talking about.
Chip Star
Why aren’t the Dems working with Donny to deal with this issue?!!!!!! What are there ideas?!!!!
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Democrats and the White House are nearing an agreement on a set of measures to address the coronavirus crisis, and that further legislation will be in the works.
In a letter to House Democrats, she said that the legislation will include provisions for free coronavirus testing; paid emergency leave, with 14 days of sick leave and three months of paid family and medical leave; enhanced unemployment insurance; waiving work requirements for food assistance programs; and increased federal funds for Medicaid.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-says-021229510.html
Doh!
ulysses
How about now?
Not surprising, truth is hard for the right wing nutters to swallow.
Do speak...
bass4funk
Biden can’t do that, he doesn’t know where he is half of the time.
No, it’s just Biden thinks and acts like he’s a part of Congress and still in Washington, so please, don’t dodge, just answer the question. So what should Biden do, stay with me please, what can he do better than Trump....if he has his mental faculties in check?
I used to think so, apparently the Democrats treat him as if he’s not as if he’s still in the WH. Lol
ulysses
Donny meanwhile is taking reading lessons, will come handle one day...
bass4funk
Me too.
So Biden was a joke? Now it all makes rational sense....boy this is going to be a fabulous November.
ulysses
Faux meanwhile had Sarah Palin, screeching across the screens .
Am sure they are preparing their fans for the worst by churning out garden manure....
Next few months will be hard on the nutters...
bass4funk
Palin? What?
nishikat
Viruses don't respond or care about Trump tweets. They just do what they do. Trump made the situation worse with TrumpCare.