Las Vegas poker pro John Kim is one of many Americans who has been exposed to the novel coronavirus. His younger brother recently tested positive and he now nervously awaits his own test results. In the meantime, the 46-year-old gambler hopes everyone understands the severity of this potentially deadly virus.
John Kim is a Las Vegas poker player who has been exposed to the coronavirus. (Image: Facebook)
Kim’s scary situation would make anyone nervous. Not only does his brother, whom he lives with, have coronavirus. He’s also concerned about the health and well-being of his 74-year-old mother. Given her age, despite being in overall good health, he says, she’s the most at risk of serious illness from the virus.
Like any loving son, he worries she may have caught the highly contagious disease over his own safety. Both he and his mother have been in close contact with Kim’s brother recently. So, they knew they had to get tested and did so on Friday, days after they wanted a test due to a lack of available testing in Nevada. Test results aren’t known for approximately 72 hours, so he might be in for a few sleepless nights. He shared details of the coronavirus test with CardsChat News.
“I went through a drive-through and didn’t have to leave the car,” he said. “They stick a long swab up your nose and it takes about 10 seconds. Definitely uncomfortable enough that I became a little teary-eyed from it being up my nose so far.”
The uncomfortable test, however, is the least of his worries right now.
Las Vegas Poker Player Frustrated With Lack of COVID-19 Testing
We’ve all heard complaints from Americans on the lack of COVID-19 testing in the US. Despite nearly 300,000 people in the country testing positive in just over two months, we don’t know the real number of coronavirus cases. Las Vegas poker pro John Kim understands this as well as anyone, from first-hand experience.
“I’m frustrated with a few things,” he explained. “Test with the lack of and how long the results take. The low sense of urgency I see from too many, especially people from my church.”
Kim, who prefers playing online to live poker, also expressed frustration with those who aren’t taking the current global health crisis seriously enough. He says his poker friends are, however, but claims the US government failed its citizens with “a lack of testing and being late to the game.”
Kim, who is of Korean descent, said he noticed a difference in how the US and South Korea handled the pandemic. Both countries reported the first infection on Jan. 29. But the US has nearly 30 times as many cases as of April 3.
President Trump originally downplayed the severity of the virus. On Feb. 26, he said, “we’re going to be pretty soon at only five people,” referring to the number of coronavirus patients in the US. He also initially claimed the virus a hoax concocted by what he refers to as the liberal, or “fake news,” media.
Gambling with Lives
Kim, a Las Vegas poker pro who primarily plays mid-stakes cash games, loves to gamble. But not with his health or the safety of others.
“Those people frustrate me,” he says of those who refuse to social distance despite state orders. “Basically they’re saying we value money over lives. I get that not being able to pay bills is stressful. Been close to broke a couple of times. I had family to take care of too, having a child when I was 25. But we need to be empathetic and have passion for others.”
Kim claims many don’t understand the concept of exponential growth. He explains that at even a 1-2% mortality rate, which is in the ballpark of where most health experts project the coronavirus death rate to end up, if half the population contracts the virus, “that is just too many deaths.”
“I get sad thinking about it,” he says. “And I’m not thinking just of my family or myself. I’m thinking of others. I wish people felt this way. The world would be a better place. For people that don’t believe, they’re either ignorant, selfish, or uneducated.”
Brother Stuck in His Room
Kim doesn’t know how his brother caught the coronavirus. Since testing positive, his brother has stayed in his room, practicing strict social distancing to prevent contributing to the spread of the contagious disease.
His brother, of whom he describes as a healthy 45-year-old with no underlying health conditions, works a desk job. Prior to testing positive, he followed social distancing guidelines. Kim says his brother would only leave the house in recent weeks to go to the store or work. It just goes to show how easy it is for the coronavirus to spread.
Kim’s brother hasn’t left his bedroom in days. The Las Vegas poker worries he’s already been infect himself, but won’t receive test results for a couple of days. He worries even more that his elderly mother, who has also been exposed to the virus from her son, may have coronavirus.
Kim waited days for a doctor to give him a COVID-19 test. In Nevada, coronavirus testing is backlogged. Thousands in the state who are experiencing symptoms can’t get tested right away. And medical experts say many people are asymptomatic and may never even know they have the virus yet can still spread it to others.
The card player may soon find out he’s among those who have contracted the coronavirus. Or, maybe he’ll win this coin flip and test negative. Perhaps, he should ask for his “one time” right about now.
source https://casinonewsblogger.com/las-vegas-poker-pro-exposed-to-coronavirus-awaits-test-results/
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