20 votes

Other countries are testing patients for coronavirus by the tens of thousands. Why the U.S. is so far behind

10 comments

  1. [6]
    envy
    (edited )
    Link
    I don't understand why this isn't a larger scandal. Other countries have run significantly more tests than USA. Other countries also instituted more rigorous immigration controls Similar countries...

    I don't understand why this isn't a larger scandal.

    Other countries have run significantly more tests than USA.

    Other countries also instituted more rigorous immigration controls

    Similar countries have have approximately 1-2 confirmed CoronaVirus cases per million people where as, we just don't know how many people are infected in America, so if my math is correct, there are likely a hundred or so people wandering around without knowing they are infected, and they are infecting two hundred more people, who will infect four hundred more people....

    9 votes
    1. Eric_the_Cerise
      Link Parent
      I think, under the Trump Administration, Americans are suffering from "scandal fatigue". Unfortunately, while most of the scandals to date have been bad, this is the one that people should be the...

      I think, under the Trump Administration, Americans are suffering from "scandal fatigue". Unfortunately, while most of the scandals to date have been bad, this is the one that people should be the most (pardon the expression) up in arms about.

      11 votes
    2. [2]
      AnthonyB
      Link Parent
      I had a nearly identical experience as the guy from the second article. China and S.Korea screened us and checked temperatures multiple times in isolated areas. Everyone working in those airports...
      • Exemplary

      I had a nearly identical experience as the guy from the second article. China and S.Korea screened us and checked temperatures multiple times in isolated areas. Everyone working in those airports and on the flights wore gloves and masks. When we got to the US it was so unorganized. A ten-minute wait in China/Korea was two hours in the US. Immigration employees didn't know what they were doing; none of them wore gloves and only one or two were wearing the correct type of mask. Some passengers from other flights that had visa issues were sent to wait in the same room as people coming from China! No one at immigration spoke Chinese, so it was up to passengers to translate for each othe. It was kind of embarrassing to see how unprepared they were, especially after the testing we had already gone through in the other countries. After some unspecific information and a temperature check, I was basically free to do whatever since I had no one to report to for the 'quarantine.' What's really crazy to me is that we had known about the virus for at least two weeks at that point and the US had already closed its borders to non-citizens coming directly from China.

      Meanwhile, my boss in China is still having me report my temperature and symptoms every day even though I'm in the US. I definitely felt safer in China and people here think I'm crazy when I say that.

      6 votes
      1. knocklessmonster
        Link Parent
        The question: Were these on properly?

        one or two were wearing the correct type of mask

        The question: Were these on properly?

    3. [2]
      Diet_Coke
      Link Parent
      I heard that the estimated death rate for covid is 14 per 1000, going by that we have just about 1k cases. But who knows, could be less or more. I think it'll have to hit a major city before it...

      I heard that the estimated death rate for covid is 14 per 1000, going by that we have just about 1k cases. But who knows, could be less or more. I think it'll have to hit a major city before it gets our attention. Americans are hard to wake up.

      1 vote
      1. envy
        Link Parent
        That is death rate per confirmed case. I was simply looking at confirmed cases per million in population, to figure out how many unconfirmed cases there might be.

        That is death rate per confirmed case. I was simply looking at confirmed cases per million in population, to figure out how many unconfirmed cases there might be.

        3 votes
  2. [2]
    DanBC
    Link
    Here's the advice to people in the UK: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ If you call the 111 service and they think it's likely you have coronavirus they'll either ask you to...

    Here's the advice to people in the UK: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

    If you call the 111 service and they think it's likely you have coronavirus they'll either ask you to attend a testing location, or visit a drive-through swabbing station, or send someone to your home to swab you.

    Here's information about the government response: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

    They're releasing daily figures for how many people have been tested, and how many found positive. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public#number-of-cases

    (Currently 18,000 tested and 115 positive).

    I've heard from a few people in the US that they don't know what the protocol is if they think they may have coronavirus. That's worrying.

    7 votes
    1. envy
      Link Parent
      There are no drive thru test centers. There are practically almost no tests. There is also the huge concern of how much will this cost me.

      I've heard from a few people in the US that they don't know what the protocol is if they think they may have coronavirus. That's worrying.

      There are no drive thru test centers. There are practically almost no tests. There is also the huge concern of how much will this cost me.

      7 votes
  3. [2]
    cfabbro
    Link
    Regarding the "hard" paywall: Firefox's Reader Mode gets past it. Or you can simply block ||*.tinypass.com via your adblocker.

    Regarding the "hard" paywall:
    Firefox's Reader Mode gets past it.
    Or you can simply block ||*.tinypass.com via your adblocker.

    5 votes
    1. envy
      Link Parent
      I just used Reader View (native on firefox, plugin on chrome)

      I just used Reader View (native on firefox, plugin on chrome)

      1 vote