America currently ranks number one in the entire world for the number of coronavirus cases and deaths. By July 12, 2020, over 1% of the entire population in the United States had contracted the coronavirus. What did the U.S. do wrong to cause the pandemic to become so bad? What can we learn from these mistakes? Let’s find out in today’s post.
It is particularly unfortunate that the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. at a time in which it was least prepared. The Trump Administration was clearly grossly underprepared for a large-scale outbreak of a disease within the country, and their actions demonstrate this very clearly.
Since the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the United States in late January, the federal government’s pandemic response has been plagued by a lack of resources, insufficient and misleading communication, misinformation, and a general lack of a clear direction. A continued lack of testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE), false statements from the president and other leading figures, a lack of transparent communication, and the general politicization of the situation have caused many to lose faith in the federal government’s response to the situation.
Whether or not you are a Republican or a Democrat, the fact that the administration has continually tried to propagate blatantly wrong information about the virus is undeniable. The image below shows some of Trump’s comments at different points in the pandemic:
Right at the very beginning of the virus, Trump and his administration have continued to downplay the severity of the coronavirus. Even as cases grew exponentially in March, Trump compared the coronavirus to the flu, blamed the Democrats and the Obama Administration, and kept suggesting that the economy could be reopened.
This misinformation, among others, was later propagated by many Republican Party members, and the Republicans’ attitude toward the virus continues to be subpar. For example, even right now, Florida’s Republican governor has continued to avoid locking down the state again and downplaying the severity of the virus, even as cases skyrocket in the state.
Trump has also continued to politicize the action of mask-wearing. Up until July 11, when he was finally seen wearing a mask in a hospital visit, he had continued to deny the effectiveness of mask-wearing despite studies proving otherwise. This has caused many Americans to avoid the advice of health experts and choose not to wear masks instead, exacerbating the severity of the outbreak. Studies show that 58% of deaths could be averted in the fall should most Americans comply with mask-wearing regulations and choose to wear a mask.
Trump’s inactions make clear that he values the economy reopening and his re-election bid over the interest of public health and safety. Unfortunately, despite his “efforts,” it is looking increasingly unlikely that he will be re-elected this November. His inactions have caused many independent and moderate-leaning voters to view him disfavorably. This results in a double loss: not only are his actions not helping with his political campaign, but it is also costing the lives of thousands of Americans.
Another problem is the lack of a nationwide lockdown. Should Trump have imposed a nationwide lockdown, a large number of deaths and cases could have been averted. Numerous experts, like Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, have suggested that a lockdown is necessary. If a lockdown is imposed now, it would still help to curb the spread of the virus. States rushing to reopen their economies have resulted in a new wave of coronavirus cases in places like Arizona, Florida, and Texas.
All hope is not lost in this aspect, though. New York was by far the worst-hit state in March and April. Yet, it now is one of the few states nationwide recording a net decline of coronavirus cases (and deaths) day-to-day. The state’s refusal to reopen early, coupled with the fact that more of its citizens are willing to wear masks and social distance, allowed it to avert a second crisis. If all states followed New York’s lead, the virus could possibly be largely contained within the month.
A lack of resources has also plagued America. A lack of tests early on has resulted in many cases going undetected, leading to “invisible carriers” passing on the virus to others. Many who want a test are unable to get one simply because there just aren’t enough to go around. In addition, reliance on foreign countries to produce PPE has resulted in a general lack of PPE early on in the pandemic. Luckily, American leadership is starting to wake up to this fact, and many companies are now trying to locally produce more goods.
America’s lack of a universal healthcare system has clearly also resulted in exacerbating the virus. You can read more about that here. A good healthcare system would have relieved some of the problems America faced in containing the virus.
The last problem that we will talk about is the people who continually refuse to listen to medical professionals and choose to take matters into their own hands. Way too many Americans still believe that wearing a mask is harmful to their health, and many others still call the virus a “hoax.” And we can almost be certain that when a vaccine is produced, a group of people will refuse to accept the vaccine, resulting in lots more deaths.
American leadership needs to get itself together to fend off the virus, rather than continuing to deny its existence. People need to listen to the advice of medical experts like Dr. Fauci and wear a mask, maintain a six-foot distance from others, wash and sanitize their hands often, and avoid making unnecessary outings. If Americans can work together and do what is best for them, there is no doubt that the virus can be stopped quickly.
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