Thread by @danielsgoldman

FINAL UPDATE (thread): My #COVID19 test came back positive.

I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support. It means a lot to my family and me.

I am almost back to 100%. I’m lucky enough not to fall in the vulnerable category and, for me, it was just like the flu. 1/

My difficulty in getting a test despite the exact symptoms and a neg flu test underscores how shockingly unprepared this administration is to deal with this pandemic. In fact, I was told that NYC hospitals STILL would not test my wife — with similar symptoms — unless admitted. 2/

@realDonaldTrump can try to gaslight the American public by repeatedly saying that everyone who needs a test can get one, but that was not true one month ago (when it should have been the case) and it is not true today (when there is no excuse). 3/

Given his stated desire to “keep numbers down” for his political benefit, it is impossible to reach any conclusion other than that the President is sacrificing the health of the American public for his own personal interests. 4/

The upshot of my experience is that there are almost certainly hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people walking around the United States with #COVID19. I didn’t take no for an answer to get a test, but many people might. And they go home to transmit it unknowingly. 5/

And because I did not knowingly come into contact with a “known positive”, docs said my family could go about their business. But we can’t know if people are positive if they can’t get a test! This is the administration’s great failing — the only way to stop this is to test. 6/

One final note: I may be the first you know who tested positive, but I won’t be the last. Let’s take care of each other, listen to the experts and the cities, states and corporations who are taking the lead in the absence of the fed government, and get through this together. END