Tipsheet

Dr. Fauci Gives Asymptomatic Americans Yet Another Reason Not to Get Tested for Coronavirus

Beth Baumann
Beth Baumann  |  March 21, 2020 2:23 PM

Throughout the course of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, members of the Coronavirus Task Force have repeatedly said that non-symptomatic Americans should refrain from receiving testing. A large part of the reasoning was originally about a scarce number of testing. 

Manufacturers are finally catching up with testing and distributing them across the country. According to Admiral Brett Grioir, more than 195,000 Americans have been tested and received results for the Wuhan coronavirus. Numbers will be updated later in the week once the new data is processed. 

Although testing is becoming more readily available, priority will be given to those who are elderly, have underlying conditions, are hospitalized, and health care workers who are exposed or turn up sick.

Despite the fact that more tests are becoming available, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, non-symptomatic people receiving coronavirus testing puts health care workers at greater risk because of the lack of personal protective equipment [PPE].

"You saw the numbers with testing. There was always an issue with testing. I think we're getting to the solution that everyone in the country is looking for," Fauci said. "But I want to emphasize one thing that Admiral Grioir mentioned is that not every single person in the United States needs to get tested. They gave you the priorities."

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"Let me tell you about one of the unintended consequences of individuals who don't need to get tested flood the desire to get tested. Currently, and I hope we will be able to change it, and make it much less reliable, PPEs," he explained. "When you go in and get tested, you are consuming personal protective equipment: masks and gowns. Those are high priority for the health care workers who are taking care of people who have coronavirus disease."

According to Fauci, the goal is to make sure health care workers are protecting themselves, especially when they're treating someone with the Wuhan coronavirus.