2 min ago
The US is "still way behind" on testing, former HHS secretary says
US President Trump
"does not understand testing at all," said Kathleen Sebelius, the former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, during CNN's town hall on the global coronavirus pandemic.
"First,
it's absolutely incorrect we've done more testing per capita than anyplace on Earth. We may have more tests, we have more people, but
per capita we're still way behind," Sebelius said.
"(Trump) clearly doesn't get testing or distancing or how important masks are, and we've got 85,000 people who are dead."
So how many tests should be conducted? "The goal with testing is try to identify every case that you can," said Dr. Richard Besser, the former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Not every case will need to go to the hospital for treatment — but "every case that's out there could be the spark that starts another outbreak in your community that gets out of control," he said.
The US is clearly not at that point — and is even facing gaps in testing by race and ethnicity, said Besser, pointing to the
difference in impact toward black, Latino, and Native American communities.
