Woman From Seattle Tries Getting Tested For Coronavirus And Her Story Exposes How Unprepared The USA Is

With the new coronavirus continuing to spread across the world, some people are, without a doubt, fearing for the health and safety of themselves and their loved ones. So naturally, when someone believes they have all the symptoms of the illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath), they want to reach out to health professionals and get tested.

When one woman living in Seattle, Washington, tried to get tested for the coronavirus, she ran into roadblock after roadblock.

She documented her frustrating experience on Twitter where it went viral as people couldn’t believe the responses that she got from healthcare professionals. Scroll down to read Sketchy Lady’s story in her own words. And let us know if you’ve run into similar situations.

More info: Twitter

The New York Times writes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “botched its first attempt to mass produce a diagnostic test kit, a discovery made only after officials had shipped hundreds of kits to state laboratories.”

“A promised replacement took several weeks, and still did not permit state and local laboratories to make final diagnoses. And the CDC essentially ensured that Americans would be tested in very few numbers by imposing stringent and narrow criteria, critics say.” In other words, this might explain part of the reason why not every case of suspected infection is tested in the US.

The global response to the health crisis has had varying degrees of success in different countries. For instance, if you watch John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight, then you’ll know that Vietnam has an amazing and effective handwashing commercial.

As John pointed out, it’s best to react to the crisis somewhere between apathy and total panic. In other words, wash your hands often, stay vigilant, but don’t buy up all the food at your local grocery store.

Meanwhile, at the time of writing, CNN reports that there are 126 people infected with Covid-19 in the US. 9 people have died from the illness—all of them in Washington state. California and Washington both have the most cases, with 27 people infected.

The situation in some other countries is far worse. South Korea reported 516 new confirmed cases of people infected with the virus on Wednesday. The country has 5,328 infected; 33 have died from the virus, according to the BBC.

Meanwhile, the WHO states that Covid-19 is most dangerous to those over 60, who have preexisting health concerns and are already ill. That’s not to say that you get a free pass if you’re young and fit, but you are in a better position to weather the storm.