editorial
The crisis in testing and our personal responsibility
BY PAUL SCHINDLER
I am in self-quarantine for
COVID-19.
Is that because I know I’ve
had an exposure to the coronavirus?
No, not for certain.
And that uncertainty speaks
to how crippling the current
state of this pandemic is for
the way we carry on our daily
lives.
A co-worker of mine has experienced
fi ve days of high fevers,
chills, a cough, and periods
of labored breathing. He’s
been exhausted but has been
so uncomfortable at times that
he’s been unable to sleep.
Thankfully, he’s feeling
better today and it looks like
he’s on the mend.
But here’s something that’s
a damning indictment on our
healthcare system and our
government’s response: he
has been unable to get tested
for COVID-19.
His doctor told him he “definitely
could” have the coronavirus,
but said he can’t be
tested at this time. Still, the
doctor referred him to an urgent
care center, which in turn
told him to call the New York
State coronavirus hotline.
There, he was told that our
local public health resources
lack the capacity to give him
a test given the symptoms he
described.
That answer was not surprising
since the city health
department last night tweeted,
“Testing should only be used
for people who need to be hospitalized
BRONX TIMES R 12 EPORTER, MARCH 20-26, 2020 BTR
for severe illnesses
like pneumonia.”
In a New York Times op-ed
over the weekend, Charlie
Warzel wrote compelling
about the whys and hows of
that. He pointed out that even
though millions of workers
were doing their jobs remotely
from home to avoid infection,
many were spending their
evenings in restaurants and
bars.
In other words, it’s not just
sick people, old people, and
others whose health makes
them particularly vulnerable
to the coronavirus that need
to avoid social contact in large
groups. Everybody has to. Because
even if you’re healthy
and feel fi ne, you might be carrying
the virus and spread
it in large groups or might
contract it and spread it elsewhere.
That was the logic behind
New York City and other localities
closing restaurants,
bars, and other entertainment
venues.
But it’s not enough for us to
abide by the rules government
is setting. We need to apply
them in our own lives.
So for the time being, don’t
bring the party home. Exercise
prudence in your social
interactions.
Check in on vulnerable
people in your lives. And
should you become ill, be responsible
about reporting that
to those you’ve recently spent
time with.
These guidelines provide
the best route to fl attening the
curve on infections across the
nation. Public health is a community
effort.
(Paul Schindler is editor of
Gay City News, a Schneps Media
Publication.)
Empty Times Square subway station during rush hour. Courtesy of Reuters/Brendan Mcdermid
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