Fact Check: Is the First Fort Bend Coronavirus Patient a Lyft Driver?

In a Facebook post (we have removed the original posters name for privacy) we came across the following post, from a driver that believed his rider was a doctor on his way to see Fort Bend Coronavirus Patient #1

While this sounds scary, there are a couple things we need to consider before believing this rider.

For starters, we need to look at HIPPA laws. For those who do not know, HIPPA is a privacy act that was enacted into law in 1996 that protects a patients privacy. During a news conference Wednesday, Fort Bend County health officials declined to release even the name of the hospital the patient is staying at, citing privacy laws. So why would a doctor tell a Lyft driver on the way to the Hospital?

What we do know is that the patient was 70 years old and just came back from being out of the country. Lyft drivers come in all ages, but most of us can not afford to travel out of the country earning 60 cents a mile right?

Furthermore, Dr. Umair Shah stated in the news conference Wednesday that there is “no evidence of a community spread.”

If the patient was indeed a Lyft driver, and gave rides, that would be indicative of a community spread.

I 100% believe that the driver who posted this message believed this rider to be a doctor that was treating the same Coronavirus patient in Fort Bend. However, there is no evidence to support this riders claim. Is it possible the doctor revealed more information then he should have? Yes, but it is very unlikely. If you have ever worked in the medical field, you would know that HIPPA training happens way more often then it should.

Unfortunately, with Coronavirus there is a lot of false claims being made everyday. Why would this rider make something up? It puzzles me, but it is not surprising. Riders love to make up stories. It is up to us to do our diligence and make sure what they are telling is the truth. If you have anything to add, please do so below. We will be keeping up with this Fort Bend case, and if this rider was telling the truth, we will update this post as soon as we find out.

Stay safe out there! Coronavirus is going to affect you sooner or later, no matter how much you wash your hand, or stay at home. Best way to prepare?

Stay Hydrated 24/7.