Kathy Griffin is currently in a hospital isolation ward after checking in for what she describes as “unbearably painful symptoms” of coronavirus. Unfortunately, she can’t actually get tested to find out.
The 59-year-old comedian took to social media yesterday to say the hospital where she is confined couldn’t test her for COVID-19 because of CDC restrictions.
Griffin updated her 2.1 million followers on her condition by sharing a tweet from Donald Trump, in which he falsely claimed more patients have been tested for coronavirus in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world.
“He’s lying,” she wrote. “I was sent to the #COVID19 isolation ward room in a major hospital ER from a separate urgent care facility after showing UNBEARABLY PAINFUL symptoms. The hospital couldn’t test me for #coronavirus because of CDC (Pence task force) restrictions. #TESTTESTTEST.”
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He’s lying. I was sent to the #COVID19 isolation ward room in a major hospital ER from a separate urgent care facility after showing UNBEARABLY PAINFUL symptoms. The hospital couldn’t test me for #coronavirus because of CDC (Pence task force) restrictions. #TESTTESTTEST https://t.co/18fRiOBsdN pic.twitter.com/0sU9fHu4r0
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) March 25, 2020
The AP reported this week that a slow rollout of reliable testing has “crippled” the U.S. response to the growing pandemic.
“In the critical month of February, as the virus began taking root in the U.S. population, CDC data shows government labs processed 352 COVID-19 tests–an average of only a dozen per day,” the AP reported.
And according to CNN, “based on the available data and the population of each country, 1 in 142 South Koreans and 1 in every 786 Americans have been tested for the coronavirus.”
It has been a very rough few weeks for Griffin. Her hospitalization comes just one week after her mother, Maggie, passed away at age 99. We’re wishing her lots of love and a speedy recovery!
Related: Two more well-known gay men test positive for coronavirus
Jim
Who’s getting tired of these media whores?
Chrisk
Not in these cases. Now we have her along Daniel Newman saying something similar about not being allowed by the Government to test for it.
truthseeker
Clearly she wants attention. She shouldn’t get a Corona Virus test at all. News reports and she herself said she went to the ER for an abdominal infection. Corona attacks the respiratory system and doesn’t cause abdominal infection, hence the reason her doctor released her and didn’t give her a Corona test. This is why there’s a shortage on tests because people without real symptoms are panicking wanting a test over someone who needs it
Cam
@truthseeker
Awww, the troll account is still trying the tactic of claiming that “reports said….” Ugh, try something new. We get it, you will always support any Republican anti-LGBT bigot, and Griffin hates Trump. Therefore you always come in to attack her.
truthseeker
@Cam (DCguy)
Because that is what she herself and reports have said.
Griffin herself told USA Today, “the doctor said because of the lungs, no fever, and the kind of cough, you don’t meet CDC guidelines”. USA Today then says Kathy was given the option to be admitted to the hospital but chose to go home instead.
She had a stomach infection. Why should she (being a celebrity) get a coronavirus test over someone who actually needs one? I’ll tell my doctor my elbow hurts, give me a coronavirus test
Jared MacBride
I wouldn’t believe her if she said the sun came up in the east. But I hope she enjoys playing victim; it’s one thing she’d good at.
Cam
What a shock, a troll account trying to deflect from the fact that even a wealthy celebrity can’t get tested.
Jared MacBride
@cam – What a shock; the ultimate troll calling someone else a troll. Doesn’t your mommy want her Gateway PC back?
Cam
@Jared MacBride
Oooo, the right wing troll account comes back with the BRILLIANT “I know you are but what am I?” defense. (Eye roll).
Sweetie, please tell the RNC to send better trolls. You’re terrible at this.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
This is a woman who has been outspoken unequivocally in favor of equality and Gay marriage for decades. calling out and deriding those who spew hatred and bigotry on our community…
Yet shortly this thread is going to be full of trolls attacking her countdown begins!!
truthseeker
Except for the times she attacks members of the gay community like Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, and others
Cam
@truthseeker
I see the Republican troll that only attacks LGBT people and defends bigots wants to pretend it sympathizes with Cooper and Cohen.
Sweetie, they didn’t get attacked by her because they were gay, They got attacked because they were in a bitch fight and turned on each other.
But it’s precious you keep on trying the same old B.S.
RyanMBecker
truthseeker,
When did she attack Anderson Cooper?
And more importantly, why should “members of the gay community” be beyond criticism?
THINK about it…
Kangol2
I really feel for her and hope she can get a test soon. But in large urban areas it seems like there’s still–WHY?–a shortage of tests and testing facilities, though some states like New York and New Jersey have been ramping up facilities. But we need more and faster and better testing, because it also will allow medical professionals and public health authorities to identify Covid-19 networks, alert people who may have unknowingly been affected, help people who are sick and don’t know they have it, and get resources where they’re most needed faster.
Hoping you can get a test and that you recover fully and swiftly, Kathy!
Creamsicle
I love Kathy and wish her a speedy recovery!
It’s insane that testing is still so scarce. We need this test to be widely available and accessible to people of all income levels just to even get a sense of when things will improve! And yes, this needs to be accessible to ALL incomes, because viruses don’t care about your tax bracket.
If this is response is mismanaged further, we (as a species) could have permanent waves of Covid-19-descended viruses coming through annually, like we do with flu, only much more deadly.
ScottOnEarth
I LOVE KATHY and I hope she is feeling much better very soon. She has gone through hell the past few years and just lost her incredible, amazing mother, Maggie, just a week ago. Kathy is always there for us gays and we need to be there for her.
RyanMBecker
Serious question… I wonder if Anderson Cooper sent any well-wishes. Similarly, I wonder if Griffin sent flowers (or attended) Gloria Vanderbilt’s funeral. Or whether Anderson Cooper even called Griffin during his mother’s illness so that she can say goodbye. Vanderbilt and Griffin were apparently very close.