NBC4: Widespread Testing Provides Valuable COVID-19 Data

In an interview with NBC4 on March 3, about a week before the first cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) were confirmed in Ohio, Joe Gastaldo, MD, OhioHealth system medical director, infectious diseases, talked about how widespread testing of suspected COVID-19 cases helps provide valuable data to healthcare workers.

Gastaldo told NBC4 that data from other countries shows that over 80 percent of people who contract COVID-19 only show mild symptoms, which could mean their risk of being hospitalized or dying from it is low.

“We have to realize if we test people and the result is, ‘Yes you have this novel coronavirus,’ if you are low risk and you’re young and you’re healthy, all you’re going to do is stay home and take care of yourself,” Gastaldo said.

You can view the story by clicking on the NBC4 logo below.