My Covid-19 testing experience.

Our college student traveled through NYC, public transports to JFK, then to Florida to attend a conference and flew home, coughing and sore throats.  Thought it was common cold as the symptoms went away after about a week. Then I developed sore throats, productive coughing, cold sweats, dizzy head, pressure and slight pain in the chest area, … but no constant fever except in spurts.   I self-quarantined and looked to the possibility of testing, but my county had zero testing kits available.  About a week after I developed these symptoms, my wife started coughing with sore throat, runny nose, … so, she didn’t go to work and stayed home.  Our other children urged us to get tested and told us to go to the emergency room in a university hospital in the next city about an hour and half away.  So my wife and I went, wearing face masks and gloves.  At the entrance to a makeshift ER room,  the nurses screened us and let us in, we filled out forms and took vitals.  After a while the ER doctor came, checked our breathing with stethoscope and some more questions.  We told the doctor our college student’s travel history and symptoms, and our symptoms, …  The doctor told us, due to severe shortage of testing kits, they are testing only those patients who must be admitted immediately to hospital (maybe to the ICU units).  No,  we can’t take the test because we are not seriously ill enough (with high chance of death). But she ran some other tests like chest xrays and blood work on me to check some specific symptoms.  We waited there for 2+ hours in the enclosed area with other people waiting for the Covid19 testing (who will be sent home without testing like us), and finally heard the doctor say the images look good and blood looks normal.   We went there for Covid19 testing, but got some unnecessary and expensive testing done instead, which I wouldn’t even bother visiting the ER for if it were not for this novel virus.

So, after a long day, I got this conclusion:  if the people want to get tested for Covid-19, you need be in one of the two groups:   (1) The 20% or so infected people, probably in their second week of infection or in the second week of symptomatic period, who desperately need be admitted to hospital immediately, possibly to an ICU unit with a high chance of death.  (2) Special people like NBA players, big shot executives, wealthy and influential people and their families, …. Just the privileged Americans. LOL

This Coronavirus can spread by the infected people who don’t show any symptoms, usually during the first week of infection.  It is clear, with this limited testing capability, the USA has no way of stopping the spread of this virus.  So, the drastic lockdowns and social distancing measures are the only way to mitigate the spread.  The western governments had a couple of months to prepare, but they chose not to do anything, and instead they were  the on lookers of the inferno burning abroad, telling their people that one day, it will all magically disappear or that it’s all hoax by the media and by the opposing political party.   Americans are too nice to our government.  We don't demand it to do its job right.  If the people leave the government alone, do not keep the greatest demand/pressure on them to do their job right, they won't.  They simply fargin won't.  We will get another pandemic like this or worse down the road.  Then the government will again tell the people to keep some perspectives like, the flu kills 100s thousands each year and the car accidents kill more than this novel virus. 

Maybe we deserve to die in this pandemic, or deserve to lose everything that we worked so hard for.  If we choose to go easy on the government, we can't hold the government accountable for not doing their job. 

“US missed its chance to avoid coronavirus shutdown and businesses should stay closed”

 https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/bill-gates-us-missed-its-chance-to-avoid-coronavirus-shutdown.html

“the United States missed its chance to avoid mandated shutdowns because it didn’t act fast enough on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. “The U.S. is past this opportunity to control (COVID-19) without shutdown,” Gates said during a TED Connects program broadcast online. “We did not act fast enough to have an ability to avoid the shutdown.” “It’s January when everybody should’ve been on notice,” Gates added. The virus was first discovered in December in China.”

 

“US misse

d its chance to avoid coronavirus shutdown and businesses should stay closed”

 https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/bill-gates-us-missed-its-chance-to-avoid-coronavirus-shutdown.html

 

“the United States missed its chance to avoid mandated shutdowns because it didn’t act fast enough on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. “The U.S. is past this opportunity to control (COVID-19) without shutdown,” Gates said during a TED Connects program broadcast online. “We did not act fast enough to have an ability to avoid the shutdown.” “It’s January when everybody should’ve been on notice,” Gates added. The virus was first discovered in December in China.”

Why is Gates opinion on this have any more weight then any other guy on the street.  Because he is rich!

Great 20/20 hindsight.  Did he call for a shutdown in January?  What does notice mean?

Edited by Dex, 25 March 2020 - 10:05 AM.

Gates has beeen putting his billions for research and for fighting  pandemic like this.

He has put his money, time and energy in figuring out.

Maybe you are a genius to know everything, but I listen to him on matters like this.

He is a business person, tech person, public health person.

What are you?

Evolution is not easy. We will as a species come to a bifurcation point and will come together or perish.

Gates has beeen putting his billions for research and for fighting  pandemic like this.

He has put his money, time and energy in figuring out.

Maybe you are a genius to know everything, but I listen to him on matters like this.

He is a business person, tech person, public health person.

What are you?

- Why can't you find anything by him ringing the bell ... e.g. calling the NYT/CDC edc in January saying what the risks are and what we should be doing?  So, he has great hindsight.

I'm  sure in 9 months he'll come out with another great insight. 

How come the great brain didn't see this outcome of his efforts.

https://www.globalre...-brazil/5690917

Edited by Dex, 25 March 2020 - 10:21 AM.

I am 79 years old, and have gone through a myriad of infectious maladies including small pox, mumps, Malaria, chicken pox, and several bouts of influenza. Yeah growing up in India was not easy. But nobody there shutdown the economy for any maladies. So I am shocked 1.3 Billion people have been shut down in India by PM Modi. Disease come and diseases go. My bout with small pox was the toughest. Very high fever and puss filled blisters all over my 8 year old body. It left life-long marks on my face. 

This new virus covid-19 has a kill ratio of barely 1%. Why the freak-out? Practice standard precautions such as not shaking hands or other physical contact until the virus goes on vacation. And wash hands after touching anything others have touched. I even did not cancel my cruise on Feb 24th. I simply followed common sense precautions and did not have any problems.

So where were Geniuses like Bill Gates in January when finally news came out of China about the pandemic? Did Gates applaud the president's decision to ban incoming travel from China, I believe it was in January? Anybody remember if he did congratulate the president? 

Edited by pdx5, 25 March 2020 - 11:37 AM.

I am 79 years old, and have gone through a myriad of infectious maladies including small pox, mumps, Malaria, chicken pox, and several bouts of influenza. Yeah growing up in India was not easy. But nobody there shutdown the economy for any maladies. So I am shocked 1.3 Billion people have been shut down in India by PM Modi. Disease come and diseases go. My bout with small pox was the toughest. Very high fever and puss filled blisters all over my 8 year old body. It left life-long marks on my face. 

 

This new virus covid-19 has a kill ratio of barely 1%. Why the freak-out? Practice standard precautions such as not shaking hands or other physical contact until the virus goes on vacation. And wash hands after touching anything others have touched. I even did not cancel my cruise on Feb 24th. I simply followed common sense precautions and did not have any problems.

 

So where were Geniuses like Bill Gates in January when finally news came out of China about the pandemic? Did Gates applaud the president's decision to ban incoming travel from China, I believe it was in January? Anybody remember if he did congratulate the president? 

 

 

"This new virus covid-19 has a kill ratio of barely 1%. Why the freak-out?" 

My response is not a freak-out; hopefully is a reasoned response.  Many of the people who have survived covid-19 (young and old) describe it as the worst physical experience of their life.  They report debilitating lung pain that, in some cases, makes it impossible to rollover in bed or stand up.  The inability to breathe and lips turning blue is terrifying.  My anticipation is that the damage to lung tissue reported will lead some to a lifetime of reduced lung capacity and physical mobility.  So, there are reasons to minimize spread of this infection other than death rate.

 

I am 79 years old, and have gone through a myriad of infectious maladies including small pox, mumps, Malaria, chicken pox, and several bouts of influenza. Yeah growing up in India was not easy. But nobody there shutdown the economy for any maladies. So I am shocked 1.3 Billion people have been shut down in India by PM Modi. Disease come and diseases go. My bout with small pox was the toughest. Very high fever and puss filled blisters all over my 8 year old body. It left life-long marks on my face. 

 

This new virus covid-19 has a kill ratio of barely 1%. Why the freak-out? Practice standard precautions such as not shaking hands or other physical contact until the virus goes on vacation. And wash hands after touching anything others have touched. I even did not cancel my cruise on Feb 24th. I simply followed common sense precautions and did not have any problems.

 

So where were Geniuses like Bill Gates in January when finally news came out of China about the pandemic? Did Gates applaud the president's decision to ban incoming travel from China, I believe it was in January? Anybody remember if he did congratulate the president? 

 

 

"This new virus covid-19 has a kill ratio of barely 1%. Why the freak-out?" 

 

My response is not a freak-out; hopefully is a reasoned response.  Many of the people who have survived covid-19 (young and old) describe it as the worst physical experience of their life.  They report debilitating lung pain that, in some cases, makes it impossible to rollover in bed or stand up.  The inability to breathe and lips turning blue is terrifying.  My anticipation is that the damage to lung tissue reported will lead some to a lifetime of reduced lung capacity and physical mobility.  So, there are reasons to minimize spread of this infection other than death rate.

 

Around 60% of people with coronavirus show mild or no symptoms

https://www.weforum....ading-covid-19/

The people who are dying are generally over 60 with pre-existing conditions  & some smokers.

The next shelter in place phase should be that those people stay home and others get on with life.

Targetted shelter in place sounds good: except reality is large numbers of people living in crowded conditons with constant close interaction of those " getting on with their lives".

 

Around 60% of people with coronavirus show mild or no symptoms

https://www.weforum....ading-covid-19/

 

The people who are dying are generally over 60 with pre-existing conditions  & some smokers.

 

The next shelter in place phase should be that those people stay home and others get on with life.

 

 

Exactly. Most working people are under age 60, and are being locked out of work place.

Older people like me should take responsibility for themselves to take necessary precautions.

Note that the standard Flu has already killed more than 10 times covid-19 has. So where is the panic about Flu?

"The next shelter in place phase should be that those people stay home and others get on with life."

Agreed fully!