My entire family’s Covid diagnosis was a terrifying pandemic wake-up call

The response to my story has been overwhelming – so much support and so many people sharing their own stories – especially when it comes to testing. As of this week, 1 in every 22 Americans have tested positive for Covid-19. But unfortunately, the testing doesn’t tell the full story.

What I have learned in the days since I got Covid-19 is that this is the most uncovered part of our national story: We are failing at testing. Most people have to wait days to get results, and even if they get them, they aren’t always accurate. There are long lines across the country. And it’s still not clear what a positive or a negative result means.

My husband and I got both results back, and we’re still not sure if the results mean we’re contagious. Dr. Kavita Patel told me on MSNBC this week that we should have technology by now that doesn’t allow us to leave our homes without knowing if there’s a high chance we have Covid-19. She called it a failure of the will of the government to prioritize it. And I agree.

Stephanie Ruhle is an MSNBC anchor and senior business correspondent for NBC News. She tweets @SRuhle.