THREAD: Yesterday, I spoke with doctors from one of the nation’s leading academic hospitals located in a state where #COVID19 cases are increasing quickly. This is what they told me: They've been seeing *many* patients with symptoms concerning for COVID19 who need testing (1/x)
But they are unable to get the *vast majority* of them COVID19 testing. Their only resource for testing is the state lab. But the state lab is severely limited in capacity and it will take another few weeks for the hospital lab to implement its own test. (2/x)
So the hospital is saving their test requests for only those who are severely ill - such as those with ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) who have tested negative for other conditions (like influenza). In other words, they are having to ration tests. (3/x)
For patients who do get tested, it is taking several days for the test to come back during which time their contacts (including doctors and nurses) have to be quarantined, taking them out of the workforce right when we need them the most. (4/x)
They also don’t have enough personal protective equipment. The doctors and nurses are having to reuse masks which they know is risky but they have no other choice. They are worried about running out of gowns and gloves as well. (5/x)
The doctors I spoke with are worried and scared. They know this isn’t the best way to take care of patients. And they are putting their own health at risk in the process. (6/x)
This is happening at one of the *top hospitals in the United States of America.* And they are not alone. This is the daily struggle for hospitals and clinics across America. (7/x)
The measure of whether we have enough testing is whether people who need COVID19 tests can get them. By that measure, we continue to fall short. (8/x)
Because our visibility into the spread of COVID19 in the U.S. is so compromised due to lack of testing, it makes it even more urgent that we be aggressive about mitigation efforts like physical distancing so we can reduce the likelihood of further spread. (9/x)
So if you are reading the news about games being cancelled, schools being suspended, and people avoiding group events due to #COVID19 - and if you're wondering if it's an overreaction, the answer is no. The earlier we act, the more lives we save. Period. (10/x END)
