NOT SET UP FOR THAT. % DO I THINK WE SHOULD BE? %
YES. %
YES. % BUT WE ARE NOT. %
>> WHY IS THE U.S. SO BEHIND? %
NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT ALEXA %
LIACKO EXPLAINS. %
>> Reporter: PRESIDENT TRUMP %
HAS TRIED TO DOWNPLAY THE %
SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS AND %
BOOST PUBLIC PERCEPTION AROUND %
THE GOVERNMENT’S NATIONAL %
RESPONSE. %
RESPONSE. % >> WE ARE PREPARED AND DOING A %
GREAT JOB WITH IT. %
IT WILL GO AWAY. %
>> Reporter: WEEKS OF DELAYS %
AND YOUR CREDIT HURDLES ARE %
JUST A FEW OF THE MISTAKES %
THAT MAKE UP AN ENTIRELY %
DIFFERENT PICTURE. %
ONE IN WHICH THE NUMBER OF %
TESTS AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED %
STATES IS NOWHERE NEAR THE %
NATIONAL DEMAND. %
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE EVEN %
SAID SO. %
>> WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TESTS %
TODAY TO MEET WHAT WE
ANTICIPATE WILL BE THE DEMAND
GOING FORWARD. %
>> Reporter: LET’S TAKE A %
LOOK. %
LOOK. % IN FEBRUARY, THE WORLD HEALTH %
ORGANIZATION SHIPPED KITS TO
DOZENS OF COUNTRIES. %
>> WE HAVE SHIPPED SUPPLIES OF
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT %
TO 21 COUNTRIES, AND WE WILL
SHIP TO ANOTHER 106 COUNTRIES
IN THE COMING WEEKS. %
>> Reporter: THE UNITED STATES %
WENT ABOUT CREATING ITS OWN
TESTS ACCORDING TO PROPUBLICA %
THAT CREATED DELAYS AND
CONFUSIONS AND SENATOR PATTY %
MURRAY ON THE SENATE HEALTH %
COMMITTEE WROTE A LETTER ON
MARCH 5 DEMANDING AN %
EXPLANATION FOR WHY THE COVID-%
19 TEST APPROVED BY THE WORLD %
HEALTH ORGANIZATION WAS NOT
USED IN THE UNITED STATES. %
WE HAVEN’T HEARD YET A
RESPONSE. %
RESPONSE. % WHEN THE CDC DID SEND TESTS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN %
FEBRUARY, SOME OF THOSE
INITIAL TESTING KITS WERE
FAULTY. %
FAULTY. % DRASTICALLY LIMITING THE %
ABILITY TO RESPOND, AND
DIAGNOSE THE VIRUS PROPERLY. %
THE CRITERIA FOR WHO WAS
ELIGIBLE FOR THE COVID-19 %
TESTING WAS ALSO PARTICULARLY
NARROW. %
NARROW. % CONSIDERING THE SHORTAGE OF %
TESTS. %
TESTS. % THOSE TEST KITS ARE NOW BEING %
INVESTIGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT %
OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. %
WHEN LABS TRIED TO DEVELOP %
THEIR OWN THEY CAME UP AGAINST %
A BUREAUCRATIC REQUIREMENT
THAT FORCES LABS TO SEEK FDA
EMERGENCY USE APPROVALS. %
THAT TAKES TIME AND AGAIN
DRASTICALLY CURTAILED THE U.S. %
RESPONSE.
RESPONSE. THAT WAS EVIDENT FOR DOCTORS %
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF %
CALIFORNIA, DAVIS. %
A WOMAN WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR %
DAYS BEFORE BEING TESTED FOR
COVID-19 ON FEBRUARY 23. %
SHE HADN’T INITIALLY BEEN %
TESTED BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T FIT
THE CRITERIA FOR COVID-19, THE %
TEST CAME BACK POSITIVE. %
WHILE SOUTH KOREA HAS TESTED %
MORE THAN 200,000, OFFICIALS
IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE
ANNOUNCED THAT THEY DON’T KNOW %
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY %
BEEN TESTED. %
>> HOW MANY AMERICANS HAVE
BEEN TESTED AT THIS POINT? %
>> WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY %
BECAUSE OF HUNDREDS OF %
THOUSANDS OF OUR TESTS HAVE %
GONE OUT TO PRIVATE LABS AND %
HOSPITALS THAT CURRENTLY DO %
NOT REPORT IN THE CDC. %
>> Reporter: AND OF COURSE %
HERE’S THE PROBLEM, WITHOUT %
TESTING, NOT ONLY ARE PEOPLE %
WALKING AROUND AND POSSIBLY %
SHARING THE VIRUS, BUT %
SCIENTISTS AREN’T ABLE TO %
TRACK THE HOTSPOTS AND FOCUS %
RESOURCES. %
RESOURCES. % THE CDC NOW SAYS THAT ANYONE %
WHO WANTS TO BE TESTED FOR %
CORONAVIRUS CAN GET ONE IF A %
DOCTOR SIGNS OFF. %
IT RELAXED ELIGIBILITY %
REQUIREMENTS ON MARCH 4th %
WIDENING THE POOL OF PEOPLE %
WHO CAN BE TESTED IF THEY %
EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS. %
BUT GETTING TESTED HAD BEEN %
AND CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE. %
A NURSE IN CALIFORNIA RELEASED %
A STATEMENT THROUGH THE %
CALIFORNIA NURSES ASSOCIATION
SAYING SHE HAD BEEN CARING FOR
A CORONAVIRUS POSITIVE %
PATIENT, SHE WORE PROTECTIVE %
GEAR, BUT STARTED TO FEEL %
SICK. %
SICK. % A FEW DAYS LATER HER PUBLIC %
COUNTY OFFICIAL AGREED TO A %
TEST. %
TEST. % BUT THE CDC DIDN’T. %
>> THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT %
TEST ME BECAUSE IF I WERE %
WEARING THE RECOMMENDED
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, THEN I %
WOULDN’T HAVE THE CORONAVIRUS. %
>> ANOTHER INSTANCE, A %
JOURNALIST FOR "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" SAID SHE HAD TO GO BACK %
THREE TIMES BEFORE GETTING A %
TEST. %
TEST. % OTHER MISTAKES WERE MADE LIKE %
CDC RELEASING A TEXAS WOMAN %
FROM QUARANTINE JUST BEFORE %
SHE TESTED POSITIVE. %
WHILE STATE OFFICIALS BEGGED %
THE CDC FOR MORE TESTING, %
OUTSIDE OF THE GOVERNMENT,
SOME PROGRESS IS BEING MADE. %
EMPLOYEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF %
WASHINGTON MEDICAL SYSTEM HAVE
SET UP A DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING %
CENTER IN THE HOSPITAL PARKING %
LOT. %
LOT. % THE PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE BILL %
& MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION MAY %
BE OFFERING AT HOME TESTING %
KITS. %
KITS. % AS THE GOVERNMENT FAILS TO %
MEET THE DEMAND ON THESE %
TESTS, CHARITIES ARE STEPPING %
IN AND THE VIRUS CONTINUES TO %
SPREAD. %
SPREAD. % THE NUMBER OF TESTS IS
INCREASING. %
INCREASING. % HHS SECRETARY ALEX AZAR SAYS
1.1 MILLION TESTS WERE SHIPPED %
AROUND THE COUNTRY AND %
MILLIONS MORE WILL BE READY BY
THE END OF THE WEEK. %
>> WHERE ARE WE WITH THIS? %
BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER
COUNTRIES LIKE AUSTRALIA WHERE
THEY APPARENTLY HAVE NO
SHORTAGE OF TESTS. %
>> YES. %
>> YES. % I JUST TRIED TO GET A PATIENT %
TESTED AN HOUR AGO AND I
COULDN’T. %
COULDN’T. % IN MY OUTPATIENT OFFICE. %
>> THAT PERSON SHOULD HAVE %
BEEN TESTED? %
>> I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO TEST %
HER. %
HER. % >> Reporter: THE TEST INCLUDES %
A SWAB DOWN YOUR NOSTRIL AND %
THROAT. %
THROAT. % AS FOR COST, PRIVATE HEALTH %
INSURERS HAVE AGREED TO COVER %
TREATMENT AND WAVE CO-PAYS FOR %
CORONAVIRUS RELATED TESTING, %
AND IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE %
WHILE SOME FEES MAY BE WAIVED, %
NOT ALL AND THE TENS OF