r/IAmA • u/APnews • Mar 16 '20
We are the chief medical writer for The Associated Press and a vice dean at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Ask us anything you want to know about the coronavirus pandemic and how the world is reacting to it. Science
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who asked questions.
Please follow https://APNews.com/VirusOutbreak for up-to-the-minute coverage of the pandemic or subscribe to the AP Morning Wire newsletter: https://bit.ly/2Wn4EwH
Johns Hopkins also has a daily podcast on the coronavirus at http://johnshopkinssph.libsyn.com/ and more general information including a daily situation report is available from Johns Hopkins at http://coronavirus.jhu.edu
The new coronavirus has infected more than 127,000 people around the world and the pandemic has caused a lot of worry and alarm.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
There is concern that if too many patients fall ill with pneumonia from the new coronavirus at once, the result could stress our health care system to the breaking point -- and beyond.
Answering your questions Monday about the virus and the public reaction to it were:
- Marilynn Marchione, chief medical writer for The Associated Press
- Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and author of The Public Health Crisis Survival Guide: Leadership and Management in Trying Times
Find more explainers on coronavirus and COVID-19: https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Proof:
6
u/MsScienceTeacher Mar 16 '20
Why is there such a lack of testing in the United States? I'm an otherwise healthy 38 year old female, but have a cough, fever, and shortness of breath. Many in my family are immuno compromised. I was denied a test because I'm low risk (I'm still unclear if that means low risk for complications or actually having it... I have a hard time believing any doctor in my county could definitely say the latter). We keep hearing more tests will be available... It's incredibly frustrating. What is the breakdown??