Trump scrambles to broaden coronavirus testing options

The Trump administration scrambled Friday to broaden testing for the coronavirus with a flurry of new measures, and public confusion persisted over who should be tested and how to get checked for the disease.

Declaring a national emergency, President Donald Trump and senior staffers laid out a new testing strategy designed to screen hundreds of thousands of Americans at drive-thru centers based around major retail chains.

Countries including South Korea and Germany have been using that approach for weeks, allowing people to quickly provide a throat or nasal swab for testing without leaving their cars.

“We want to make sure that those who need a test can get a test very safely, quickly and conveniently,” Trump said at a news conference in the Rose Garden. But he added that the test is not intended for everyone, such as those without symptoms.

The moves come a day after one of the government’s top health officials called the initial testing effort “a failing” and health care professionals, politicians and patients across the country complained about lack of access to testing.

https://apnews.com/d7cb8610b50a2e79ce1a72929f23f02b

Drinking bleach will not prevent coronavirus, poison control center warns

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Nexstar Media Wire) – A Virginia poison control center is reminding residents that they should never drink bleach – and that doing so will certainly not prevent coronavirus.

The Blue Ridge Poison Center said in a letter obtained by WCAV, “There is a lot of confusing, incomplete, and just plain inaccurate information circulating about how to prevent the COVID-19 virus (“coronavirus”) from spreading. Some advice measures simply won’t help, and some could be downright dangerous. The Blue Ridge Poison Center at UVA Health warns that drinking bleach will not prevent COVID-19 infections and could cause serious injury.”

While bleach is an effective tool for disinfecting car handles, desktops and other surfaces, the BRPC warns that the cleaning agent can burn one’s mouth, throat and stomach. It can also cause skin irritations, breathing difficulty and vomiting.

When used correctly, however, bleach can play an effective role in killing coronavirus germs outside the body, however.

For cleaning surfaces, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests making a diluted bleach solution with five tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water.

See more on the CDC website.

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