Comedian Kathy Griffin has criticized
President Donald Trump for his claim that coronavirus testing is
widely available.
On Wednesday, Griffin, 59, was placed
into a coronavirus isolation ward at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los
Angeles after complaining of “unbearably painful” symptoms. But
she was not given a test for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new
coronavirus, because of CDC guidelines. (Los Angeles County has told
hospitals to only test patients where a test result would
significantly change the course of treatment, CNN
reported.)
Griffin did have some symptoms of
COVID-19 but wasn't experiencing difficulty breathing and did not
have a fever.
In a tweet, Trump stated that the U.S.
has done more testing than any other nation, including South Korea,
which has been lauded for its handling of the outbreak.
“Just reported that the United States
has done far more 'testing' than any other nation, by far!” Trump
said in a tweet. “In fact, over an eight day span, the United
States now does more testing than what South Korea (which has been a
very successful tester) does over an eight week span. Great job!”
“He's lying,” Griffin tweeted,
referring to the president. “The hospital couldn't test me for
#coronavirus because of CDC ([Vice President Mike] Pence task force)
restrictions. #TESTTESTTEST.”
Griffin was sent home with a diagnosis
of an abdominal infection.
Griffin told the Los Angeles Times
that she and her husband Randy Bick had not left their home in days
after returning from a trip to Mexico.
“We'd been hearing about a 14-day
incubation period [for COVID-19],” Griffin
said. “So for me to get what felt like food poisoning after six
days, I thought, OK, is this a coincidence or what?”
“The realization when they told me
the guidelines was, ‘Wow … I now know not to come back unless my
lungs are full with what feels like pieces of shattered mirror,
unless I can’t breathe and unless my fever is 103.' They’re not
making the rules at all. That’s a frightening feeling. I just think
it’s so obvious that those tests have to be accessible to
everybody.”
“A lot of people, when they hear the
president saying everyone who needs a test should get one, then they
shouldn’t have to then go to a hospital where, frankly, they may be
exposing themselves or exposing others,” she added.