Coronavirus: celebrity screening controversial in the United States

Text by: Loubna Anaki Follow

In the United States, while many hospitals and governors complain about the lack of kits available to test possible cases of coronavirus, celebrities, athletes, they have access to tests. The controversy is mounting, the question has even been asked of Donald Trump.

Publicity

With our correspondent in New York,

There are many testimonies on social networks. People who say they've had contact with a patient or who have symptoms of the coronavirus, but have been told by health officials to stop testing because of guidelines from the CDC, the American center for disease. A Hashtag has even been created and shared thousands of times on Twitter: "The CDC does not want to test me".

The reason is simple: there are not enough kits to cope with the number of patients. However, despite this shortage, Hollywood celebrities or even entire basketball teams are easily tested. Most have gone through private laboratories.

Most recent, the Brooklyn Nets who announced that four of their players had tested positive. Even the Mayor of New York sent them a message. " We wish our players a good recovery, " wrote Bill de Blasio on Twitter , adding, " but with all due respect, a basketball team should not be tested when there are serious patients still waiting ."

We wish them a speedy recovery. But, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested.

Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick. https://t.co/7uQlL3zc7Z

“ Are the rich privileged? " Asked about it, Donald Trump just said, "We have to ask them. Maybe life is like that . ”

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• Coronavirus
• United States
• Health and Medicine
• Donald trump