Trump and COVID-19: Letters to the editor, April 15, 2020
Sacrific seniors to save economy?
Donald Trump wants me to die so to better his election possibilities. Lately at Trump’s daily briefings the innuendo is that saving of the economy is isometrically linked to the necessity that some people (mostly the elderly ) could or should be sacrificed in the national war against COVID-19.
His, at any cost, to save the economy signals his criminal mantra of “quid pro quo.” In this instance, something for something. Clearly his election for a second term is determined by the results of the said war, but more than that, a semblance of victory bolsters his chances in winning re-election. In a nutshell, the next seven months is a referendum on him.
The problem for me, and the existential peril for many seniors, is we are the category most in danger of dying from this draconian suggestion in his fantasies about the saving the economy, his sick patriotism in saving the “American way of life.”
Jess Sanchez Barroso, Fresno
We’re No. 1 in COVID-19 cases
When informed 15Americans had contracted COVID-19, Donald Trump said: “When you have 15 people — and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero — that’s a pretty good job we’ve done.” Donald Trump made a good point: You should judge a leader by how well he handles crises.
Apparently, Donald Trump didn’t do the job as well as he had thought. The U.S. has the highest number of people suffering from COVID-19. This is despite the fact we spend more on health care than any other country. The low estimates for the number of Americans who will die are in the hundreds of thousands.
What about the Chinese? Despite the fact that Donald Trump called COVID-19 “the Chinese virus,” China has less than 10% the number of cases that the United States has. Their leadership knew how to slow the virus.
Donald Trump wants to relax America’s restrictions while the number of cases exponentially increases. He values money over American lives. He doesn’t understand that the best way to fix the economy is to fight the virus. No wonder he went bankrupt six times.
Douglas S. Feinberg, Clovis
A potentially lethal combination
A person can be infected with the COVID-19 for up to two weeks without showing symptoms.
On Jan. 21, the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in both the U.S. and in South Korea. Health officials warned President Trump that this was coming, and that immediate action needed to be taken. He delayed before any action occurred. In fact, the Trump administration disbanded the pandemic preparedness unit last year.
In South Korea, they did not delay and started testing people right away. They found many 20-to-30-year-olds with no symptoms who had the virus. Those people were isolated, and they have continued testing up to 20,000 people a day making sure that those infected are quarantined. They peaked with 909 cases on Feb. 29 and have seen their new cases drop in the 70s. They are remaining vigilant in their testing. Their economy is functioning.
Compare that to what is happening in the U.S. now as millions are locked down and we have no clue who has the virus and who doesn’t. Our economy is in shambles.
Being ignorant is bad, criminal neglect is worse, but combining them is going to kill many of us.
Stephen Sacks, Fresno
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Trump and COVID-19: Letters to the editor, April 15, 2020."