COVID-19: When and how to get tested for the virus

COVID-19

(PHOTO: AFP)

GUEST: Dr Eric Feigel-Ding. Epidemiologist, American public health specialist, and visiting scientist at the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Reported cases of novel coronavirus – or COVID-19 – are rapidly spreading throughout the world.

But symptoms for the virus are similar to the common flu; In many places, there are shortages of kits needed to test for COVID-19; And, in many cases, there is contradictory information between public health departments, facilities, and politicians about the scope of this outbreak. As such, healthcare workers are struggling to handle the volume of patients coming in and prioritizing who should be tested.

So what can we do when information about testing – and how to get it – is confusing? Who should we turn to? And what questions should we be asking to help keep ourselves – and our loved ones – healthy and safe?

Today, we’re looking at some of the difficulties in knowing when and how to be tested for COVID-19. And to give us some perspective, we’re joined by Dr Eric Feigel-Ding. He’s an epidemiologist, American public health specialist, and a visiting scientist at the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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