Originally Posted by
karenkay
no tests unless you're running a fever here in western North Carolina, either.
same happening in my small town. I have symptoms (headache for about a week now--I never get headaches--chills, fatigue, occasional dry cough and chest pressure/discomfort) but no fever, and there will be no test for me. called my doc, not possible to get a test there, they don't have any tests, although the nurse agreed it'd be a good idea if I could get one. frankly, blessedly, my symptoms are minor, and if this were a different time, I'd suck it up and go on about my business, with some minor modifications. but it would be nice to know if this is just a coincidentally timed weird cold, or the novel coronavirus...but THERE ARE NO TESTS.
...
local doctor's offices don't have tests, I'm not famous and without a fever I'll just never know.
USA! USA!
Thanks for taking one for team USA :/. Hope you feel better soon.
i just read about the TF guidelines for testing:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/21/polit...est/index.html
As officials work to increase the availability of the tests, they've also sought to make clear in what cases people should seek them.
Officials have
urged Americans to use discretion before seeking a coronavirus test, advising them to be administered to people who are symptomatic and not for those who do not show signs that they could be infected with the disease.
"We want to remind Americans as Dr. Fauci will emphasize in a moment, if you don't have symptoms, don't do a test," the vice president said Saturday." It is another way that the American people can make sure that we are preserving the resources that our health care workers need to administer and support those who are dealing with the coronavirus and other illnesses."
Pence, who previously said it wasn't yet necessary for him to be tested, said Saturday that, given his position in the White House, he and his wife Karen would be tested for the coronavirus after a staff member in his office tested positive for the virus this week.
Do as I say, not as I do?
As an amateur infectious disease specialist sans degree (but with nearly two months of FT training), I agree that not everyone in the country should run to get a test. There aren’t 330,000,000 of them. I have no desire to get a swab shoved up my nose, and I work “hard” (sitting on the couch, mostly) to stay away from people.
But we know that not every infected person is symptomatic, so making symptoms a hard requirement seems odd. Known exposure to a positive patient should also count.
And don’t test celebrities while symptomatic people like karenkay still cannot get a test.