At last! A topic still fresh as you read it, but written 2 weeks ago. Due to the trump administration’s delayed recognition, initial mixed messaging, intentional denial, and bungled containment rollout, the COVID-19 #trumpedemic rages in the US. Every time you read or hear about some aspect of our healthcare system stretched to the limit or beyond, think of the graph shared by Julie McMurry, MPH, on her site: www.flattenthecurve.com. Julie is a member of ISB’s Advisory Committee; see her photo in happier times.
With earlier acknowledgment of COVID-19 as a national health emergency, part of a worldwide pandemic, Mr. trump could have “flattened the curve” of disease cases and reduced its impact on American lives and his beloved stock market. A month ago, former US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch remarked, “It turns out that the truth matters and epidemics can’t be subdued by tweet.”
The president refers to himself as a, “very stable genius,” but relies more on hunches, conspiracy theories, uninformed insiders, and faux news rather than actual science, to make his happy talk. “We have it totally under control” (Jan 22). “When we get into April, in the warmer weather, that has a very negative effect on that and that type of virus” (Feb 19). Well, very stable genius, here we are. “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear” (Feb 28).
trump finally muted his nonsense in mid-March, thanks largely to the contemporaneous straight talk of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (one of the National Institutes of Health, NIH). Fauci was appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1984 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from G.W. Bush in 2008. Mr. trump should award him a special Presidential Medal of INFORMATION Freedom for his science-based presentations countering the very stable genius’ fact-free tweets.
Concern remains this trump-coronavirus debacle will suppress voter turnout in November. We’ve seen the impact on primary elections, both rescheduled and slowed due to contagion worries among voters and poll workers. There still may be a silver lining, but one that will not erase or excuse the hardship, disease, and deaths.
Because of trump incompetence, Americans now realize we need to care for each other to get things done. In November we’ll do the same and boot the #FakeTanFatMan out of office
Check out www.flattenthecurve.com for up to the minute COVID-19 information. Thanks Julie.