[diabeetusman]

There are also not nearly as many tests being run as there are patients with suspect symptoms. Yes, the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients may be low, but that doesn't mean that the number of people with the disease is low.

According to the CDC[1], you can contact your healthcare provider for the possibility of a test if (and only if) you are in close contact with someone with the disease or if you're in a community where there's ongoing spread. That's still a very limited subset of people who might have the disease.

There's very limited insight into who does or does not have the disease in the US.

[1]https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/t...

[cameldrv]

And these criteria become a catch-22. How does a community become identified as having community spread if you won't test anyone in a community that isn't so identified? My understanding is someone has to be admitted to the hospital and then tested to get the ball rolling.

[rhegart]

True but maybe 1% of those need respirators and those that do need them regardless of testing are currently getting them. Due to current measures no one is dying due to a shortage of medical equipment in the US.

That said, we must manufacture medical equipment for pandemics locally or have a reserve like oil.