Despite an increase in testing for the coronavirus, health officials — especially in hard-hit areas battling the disease — continue to limit evaluations to health workers and the most vulnerable patients, The Hill reported on Wednesday.
"The more we test, the more PPE (personal protective equipment) we need, and that is using up the PPE supply that we need to save for the healthcare workers right now," Association of State and Territorial Health Officials CEO Michael Fraser said.
Some experts are worried that shortages of protective gear will cause more medical personnel to become sick and thus make the overall national response to the pandemic more difficult without enough doctors and nurses to treat the ill.
This means that places like California and New York are focused on making sure only the sickest people and health workers get tested, since it slows the use of PPE like masks, gowns, and gloves.
The New York City Health Department has even issued a notice that "outpatient testing must not be encouraged, promoted or advertised," stating that "Unless you are hospitalized and a diagnosis will impact your care, you will not be tested."
Illustrating the concern that the proliferation of testing will mean that accessible sites will become overcrowded with people who want to be tested only for their peace of mind, several sites have had to close after running out of supplies a few hours after opening.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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