As of 05/09/2020–I just did an internet search looking for free testing facilities in Pinellas County, Florida and found none. Nothing. I expanded the search and found only aged links to testing events for weeks past.
Seeing there is a push to force the situation and push open the state’s businesses, in short measure, there’s bound to be a push to put people back to work as well. If this becomes the case, there is simply no way to tell if one is asymptomatic or not without daily testing. We require a test one can self administer every day before going into work.
Make no mistake, the Coronavirus is not the flu, we are dealing with a plague and so we desperately require long term solutions, we all must email, phone, twitter and text state representatives, health agencies, local newspapers to keep ringing the bell; sounding the alarm about the complex nature of this virus and it’s ongoing affects on the people’s health of all ages.
And so in this spirit, I sent an email to the local paper, the Tampa Bay Times, and within 30 minutes a good staff member sent a link for the following information about free testing becoming available as of the week beginning 05/11/2020
If you reside in the Tampa Bay Area, please consider getting tested soon and often; the value of this practice will unfold over time–if one knows one might be contagious, the course of action becomes clear: isolate yourself. Taking care of yourself is tantamount to taking care of everyone.