UPDATE: WONDERING WHY SO FEW TESTS HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED FOR CORONAVIRUS - WV Last State To Detect Virus

(03/15/2020)

West Virginia is the last state to have a case of confirmed coronavirus. Residents shouldn't be surprised, the state is on more worst or last lists in the USA for years. Virginia coronavirus count increases from 17 to 30 in a day. As of March 14, 2020, at least 2,345 people in 49 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have tested positive for coronavirus in the United States, and at least 50 patients with the virus have died. There are many more cases, with testing limited. As worries about the coronavirus grow in the Mountain State, some are wondering why so few tests have been administered. West Virginia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Cathy Slemp said Friday there’s not enough testing kits for everyone. West Virginia is a state where the virus has yet to be detected, with less than a couple dozen people getting the test. “There is just not a public supply of testing ability that we would all love to have,” Slemp said. Because of the shortage, patients have to meet certain criteria provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also limits the number of people tested. To be tested, you must have a credible reason for exposure, such as traveling to an area with an outbreak. For some, though, the lack of testing can be frustrating if they don’t meet that criteria. “Even though I have the symptoms of the coronavirus supposedly you need to rule out the flu, rule out the respiratory panels, and if those are all negative, then they’ll give you the tests,” said Donna Joy of Shepherdstown. Joy spent Friday sick in the Berkley Medical Center in Martinsburg, taking multiple tests that came back negative, but when it came time to test for the coronavirus, she said doctors told her tests weren’t available. “The doctor says ’I don’t even know if we can test you,’” Joy said. “’We don’t even have that capability here.’” President Donald Trump had eliminated the Obama-era agency that had been directed to gear up for pandemics.

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