MISLEADING: DO NOT SHARE
Claim:
There are no long lines of people waiting to get tested at US hospitals for COVID-19, despite what is reported in the media.
Answer:
Misleading. There are a significant number of cases of COVID-19 reported in the US.
FURTHER INFORMATION
This video contains a number of short video clips filmed by ‘citizen journalists’ visiting their local hospitals, medical and testing centres, and remarking on the lack of people waiting in line to be treated or tested. This is contrary to the perception of the reports on the ‘mainstream media’ that there are long lines and the hospitals are in crisis.
You only have their word to go on that they are where they say they are, and that they are filming a representative picture of what is happening on the ground. There are all sorts of reasons that the particular tent didn’t have testing going on in it right now, or the door they filmed didn’t have a queue outside it. For instance they could be filming a side entrance, or be filming at a strange time of day. This is the difference between members of the public and verified trusted sources of information like professional journalists. Videos like this are used to undermine public trust in the ‘mainstream media’ and make people think that they are not being told what is actually happening on the ground.
Cancellation of elective and non-critical treatment and surgery has been done in a number of countries, in order to free up spare capacity in the healthcare system. Many western countries (like the US) have observed infections of COVID-19 only relatively recently, the peak of cases is still expected to be in the future. In the case of the UK, this peak is expected in the next week or two. Therefore whilst some medical centres may be quiet at the moment, this extra healthcare capacity is currently on standby and in training to prepare to deal with the peak of cases expected in the near future.
Contrary to the claims made in this video, some hospitals in the US are already extremely busy due to the COVID-19 illness, and many are rapidly expanding the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in order to care for critically ill patients with COVID-19. There is some concern from medical professionals in the US that non-COVID-19 patients are staying home and missing treatment. At time of writing, there are according to the CDC 330,891 total reported cases in the US, with total deaths of 8,910.
SOURCE
Sky News: Coronavirus: How one New York hospital is coping at the epicentre of US crisis
NBC News: New coronavirus drive-thru test sites open, drawing huge lines
The New York Times: Where have all the heart attacks gone?
Origins of Claim
FULL TEXT OF CLAIM
“…The CFO of our local hospital happened to be there as well, and she said that not only were the hospitals completely dead, but they were quote “burning through cash like mad” end quote. Part of the reason that the hospitals are empty is they have cancelled all the elective surgeries and things like that, they say of course to keep the huge influx of virus folk separated from the public, but something is going on folks, and it ain’t a virus.”
