My family, unfortunately, has been close to some of the front lines of the Coronavirus outbreak. One of us was in several CDC Level-3 countries before returning to the United States on March 12, 2020.
Corona Virus And My Family
Due to this we have been caught up in a number of emerging issues from screening and testing, to quarantine and more. I’m here to tell you what’s going on behind the scenes.
What Is Increased Screening?
This family member was in several European cities (Madrid, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and more) during March. When they flew back into the United States we were anticipating the increased screening that we learned about in this speech.
Screening ≠ Testing
As they passed through US Customs they experienced the aforementioned increased screening. This consisted of being asked if they were in China or Italy. This family member observed that not a single person they went through Customs with was asked about symptoms, had their temperature taken, or was given a Coronavirus test.
Federal Government Recommendations
They were given no information on quarantine procedures, nor was it recommended. However, this family member immediately went into self-quarantine to avoid becoming a potential vector for the spread of this virus. We all need to do our best to flatten the curve.
What Is Self-Quarantine?
The rest of us are in quarantine too. There are no tests available to those coming from the middle of the pandemic. We are in quarantine to protect others in case we have Coronavirus due to exposure from our traveling family member. Having been in the health space for almost 30 years I take public health very seriously. This is not just about preventing old people from getting sick, though that is of extreme importance. It is about preventing total collapse of our health care system.
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How Many Tests Does USA Have?
Unfortunately, we do not have enough tests to test high risk populations (like my family traveler) which include those coming from hot spots around the world as well as our medical personnel, and people who experience typical Coronavirus symptoms.1
Testing In Colorado
The governor is desperate for tests,2 and our Boulder County Medical Director personally told me that they do not have enough tests to administer to emergency personnel. As of March 20, 2020, less than 3,000 individuals3 had been tested in Colorado out of a population of 6,000,000.4 We don’t have enough tests here as outlined in The Denver Post article titled, Colorado Coronavirus Testing Frustrations.
Testing In USA
According to this Wall Street Journal, article:5
When cases of the new coronavirus began emerging several weeks ago in California, Washington state and other pockets of the country, U.S. public-health officials worried this might be The Big One…The testing program they rolled out to combat it, though, was a small one.
How Many Tested?
According to the WSJ, as of March 20, 2020, 32,000 people had been tested in the US. Incidentally, of those, 6,500 people tested positive for Coronavirus. It is concerning that 20% of those tested are positive.
Global Coronavirus Count
Here is a link to a Global Coronavirus Counter from Johns Hopkins. Please note, the numbers you see on this counter will be different than those I cite above, given that this tool is current, and the above are from newspaper articles that do not get updated.
Let’s Start A Global Conversation
I’d love to connect with you during this challenging time. Let me know where you are, how you’re holding up emotionally, what your physical condition is, and if you have access to Coronavirus testing. Stay safe, flatten the curve, and support our health warriors!
Chaya says
My daughter just got back from Israel and I was shocked that they didn’t even check her or anyone else for a fever! It’s one thing to not have enough tests, it is another thing to not do something as basic as that. They also didn’t tell us she needed to quarantine. I would think flying internationally would be enough of a reason to be quarantined regardless of where you are coming from.
Elana says
Chaya, thank you for sharing your daughter’s experience and agreed, it is shocking. I hope you and your stay well.
Katrina says
It’s all so scary. Stay safe and be well.
Elana says
You too Katrina!
Cat says
I really appreciate you citing all your facts. There is not enough of that these days. Stay well!
Elana says
Thanks so much Cat! Stay safe :-)
Renee says
I live in Washington state, specifically Seattle. It’s a randomly gorgeous day here and from all the folks at the beach and park and local Safeway you’d never know there was a problem. Although I’ve seen photos of the eerily empty city of Seattle it is not evidenced in my neighborhood. Confusing! And disappointing. My high schoolers moms are ok with their hanging out. I keep saying no. But I’m definitely a minority in this and he goes to an urban private high school. I don’t get it.
Elana says
Renee, thanks for leaving this comment here! Yes, the lack of concern for our safety and public health is disappointing to me as well. I’m glad that we can connect here and share our fears, frustrations, and hopes. Please keep me posted on how you’re doing and sending the biggest hug ever to you :-)
Beth says
Don’t click on the Johns Hopkins map! There was a computer virus in that! (My husband is in IT.) My daughter is there in Denver and they’ve shut down Enterprise locations because some employees and some passengers were confirmed with it. They have to leave those cars 24 hours before someone can even go in and clean them! So far she wasn’t one to lose all of her hours but will still take a big paycheck hit (which we have to help make up for her student loan payment!). If they close this branch, she will probably be sent home and won’t be able to afford her rent or bills as she just started this job out of college last October! I think I have had it and self-quarantined for 11 days now. We’ve been under lock down since last week because our county near Philly was the worst number. There was a physician at the children’s hospital here that was overseas, came back, saw patients and then came down with it!!
Elana says
Beth, thanks for your comment and for sharing the situation near Philly. I am so sorry to hear about what’s going on with your daughter in Denver, which is a few miles up the road from us. I have been clicking on the JH site for a number of days (it has an .edu extension) and have had no problem. It is a source of information, and this type of information is crucial at this juncture in the crisis. I am so sorry to hear that you may have COVID-19 but am very grateful to you for the sacrifice of your self-quarantine! Stay well and be safe :-)
Rhonda Koch says
Hello
Thank you for all your receipts which are the best, but more importantly for your concern for
everyone, so many of us you have never even met. We are in a time when each one of us “MUST” look at how we are dealing with our lives and nature.
We have a planet, or I should say we “HAD” a planet that offered us everything we needed to live a Happy ,Healthy life , but we did not respect Nature and here we are.
People, Nature is fighting back, lets help Nature win the battle.
Rhonda , Victoria BC
Elana says
Rhonda, thank you for your super important comment. Everything (environmental, housing crisis, global epidemic) comes down to overpopulation, but it’s so odd that none of us talk about it. Thanks for offering a meta-level analysis and awareness of this situation here with your comment.
Jamie Sue Brooks says
Hi, Elana, Thanks for your helpful information. We are on California’s central coast so we have been in a mandatory stay-at-home for several days; we had been limiting contact with people up to last week. We are both healthy — but I’m 70 years old and my partner, a retired physician, is older and does have some health issues. Protecting him and helping flatten that curve are keeping us solitary and vigilant. Bill has spent a lot of time reading medical/science articles, and sharing some info with friends and family. While I love your food and recipe posts (which I found via your first book, the almond flour one, you are so much more. You have always been a serious writer on aspects of health, so thank you for keeping up the good work, and stay safe.
Elana says
Jamie Sue, I’m from Northern California, grew up in Davis until I left for NYC where I went to college. I’m so grateful for your thoughtful, supportive, and kind words. I hope you and Bill stay safe and take good care :-)
Ursula Maley says
Hi and hello from Brussels, Belgium. We are in lockdown: a 12th grade IB student (uncertainty about upcoming exams) plus two parents. We are all fine and try our best to do our jobs from the home office. For me as a language teacher this has been a learning curve. Our oldest is currently trying to return from university in the US – he should arrive tomorrow. Fingers crossed. I cook 95% of our meals from scratch and have added a lot of garlic ;) we meditate, walk and I do yoga. Hanging in there. But we worry: about colleagues who have symptoms (no testing unless you need the hospital) and friends with previous health issues. My parents are 400 miles away and we cannot visit or help – thank goodness for friends and neighbors. Healthcare here is good and people in general follow the rules. Having more time and facing uncertainty has given me the time to reconnect with ‘old’ friends.
Elana says
Ursula, greetings to you and yours in Brussels! Our family member was just there and said the dark chocolate was so good it was unreal. I am so sorry to hear that your oldest is not with you yet. I hope they get back to you safe and sound, soon! I love that you’re taking this time to do things that are positive and nourishing. Take care of you and yours and keep me posted :-)
Shannon says
I also learned from a friend that their family member only had their temperature taken when they arrived back here from Europe. We know that it can be carried for two weeks before having symptoms, so what good does that do? None! When someone is flying here from an international destination, they should be quarantined. That is the biggest mistake yet, or one of them anyway.
We are all going to get it and it will be rougher than the flu for some because it is new and the first time we are getting it.
Our family has been planning on leaving Sunday to go to a friends house on the coast where we will be by ourselves for the week. If we do go, I am taking all the food we need and 10lbs of filtered water. So we will not need to go out. We are plant-based, organic and take lots of supplements. My concern right now is if we do get sick while we are there, we will be 4 hours from home and just a couple hours from Portland, Oregon. Two of us have asthma. What is better, big city hospital away from home or much-smaller-city hospital close to home? Then again we could be a couple weeks out from getting sick.
Thanks for your post.
Elana says
Shannon, thank you for letting us know what’s going on in your neck of the woods. Agreed, not enough has been done to prevent the spread of this virus. I do not known the situation in Oregon in terms of medical care and hospital bed availability in rural vs more populated areas. Here in Colorado we have a shortage of beds in the high country and Governor Polis is begging people to leave there due to a possible impending crisis. I’ve found our local paper to be a good guide in terms of where the hardest hit areas are. Do you have a good paper near you? Wishing you and yours all of the very best!
claire maunsell says
This is a really smart and caring thing to do. Wish more people in North America were as aware.
I am in Gatineau Quebec (across the river from Ottawa) and am self distancing with my husband and 2 children for a week now.
I had two surgeries this year (luckily before Covid-19 or I would have been out of luck, I am SO fortunate) so have been effectively self distancing for 2 years with illness and recovery. For me, this life is nothing new but it is taking some adjustment for my husband and children, particularly my son who is an orchestral musician.
Best of luck to you all! I hope your family member is not ill!
People will have to adjust and do their part or we will never flatten the curve. The consequences will be horrendous from a health system perspective.
Elana says
Claire, thank you so much for your report from Quebec. And thank you for what you and yours are doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. So far so good with my family member, fingers crossed! Best of luck to you and yours and stay well :-)