why this illness is so hard to wrap our collective head around. The fact that there's no effective treatment is something very rare in today's world. People maybe didn't realize at first that they'd be completely at the mercy of the illness if they caught it.

She was told she could not be tested unless she was so severely ill that she would be in need of hospitalization. Only those people are being tested, she was told.

I found that to be illuminating. The cases we are hearing about are only the worst of them, if this story is typical.

Our state has less than 50 test kits available. So I know they are not testing everyone, not even close. My 28 YO nephew was just diagnosed with pneumonia, he works retail and can not get tested. The reason, he isn't in a known hot spot. How the fuck do they know that if they are not testing? About 1,000 people have been tested in my state.

Because of this, I can't go out. If testing was done, I could go out and at least get my errands done, without fear.

And is usually prescribed antibiotics, gets better, etc.

But because they said it sounded like she has coronavirus, they were not going to give her a prescription. Now maybe they have a way to distinguish between viral and bacterial pneumonia over the phone, but if not, how many people are going without treatment because of assumptions like this?