Dr. Marc Siegel on calls for increased testing of suspected coronavirus cases
Fox News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel joins Tucker Carlson on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.'
Fox News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Seigel called Monday for the immediate provision of coronavirus testing kits in order to examine people who show symptoms of exposure.
“We still don’t have the testing,” Seigel told “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” “It was announced over the weekend that we were going to be able to test.”
“I know that there are many thousands of cases, I know that," Siegel said, "but if I can’t identify which cases there are, then the virus spreads more in the absence of a vaccine.”
CORONAVIRUS TESTING KIT SHORTAGES, DELAYED RESULTS ADDING TO FRUSTRATIONS
Seigel said that he called all over the country and still could not locate the tests: “They’re still only in the health departments and that’s a two or three-day delay.”
Several governors have called for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expedite the production and shipping of additional test kits as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread.
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Seigel clarified that he is calling for the test kits to be provided for those who think they may have been exposed to the virus.
“Not only can’t I test the people who I think have been exposed, but I can’t test the people who have characteristic symptoms that I want to make sure they don’t have coronavirus before I let them back out in the community.”
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Initially, the lab at the CDC's headquarters in Atlanta was the only place with this capability, putting potential patients in places like California and Washington state at a disadvantage.
The COVID-19 test requires three culture swabs: one from the nose, one from the throat and one from the lower lungs. The test requires a person to inhale deeply, cough and spit up saliva and mucus into a sterile collection cup.
Fox News' Mary Elizabeth Gillis contributed to this report.
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