Three months in, our national COVID-19 policy is clear: You’re on your own, suckers
Three months into the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve reached a plateau. Not of total cases, hospitalizations and deaths — those keep going up — but in the amalgamated response by our federal, state and local governments.
The message is simple, succinct and can be summarized in five words:
You’re on your own, suckers.
Don’t look to us for leadership. Don’t expect much in the way of clear, constant guidance. Above all, don’t hold us accountable. In fact, here’s a waiver. Please sign.
Our elected politicians will never admit to their nonstrategy, of course. That type of honesty is reserved for mirrors and confession booths. But aside from the occasional reminders to wash hands and social distance, they’ve largely washed their collective hands and distanced themselves from the problem.
Let’s have an (un)fair fight with a potentially deadly virus. May the best immune systems win.
The indifference started at the top. Rather than sound warnings and mobilize resources, President Donald Trump spent the first two pandemic months in downplay and denial mode. (See “We have it totally/very much under control” on Jan. 22 and Feb. 24.) In retrospect, it’s clear he was incapable of anything else.
The current Trump administration/re-election tactic seems to be quiet acceptance mixed with sly avoidance. A thousand people a day in this country are going to die. Nothing we can do. Kindly divert your attention. Encourage wearing masks? Pffff.
When COVID-19 hit California, Gov. Gavin Newsom talked repeatedly about “meeting the moment.” And for a while, he did. Schools, parks and nonessential businesses (a problematic designation, no doubt) were closed. Thousands of lives saved at the cost of millions disrupted. Serious backbone required.
Two months were all it took until Newsom caved to pressure from his loudest critics. What was rolled out as a slow, carefully planned reopening (remember Phase 2?) became a mash on the gas pedal and abdication to individual counties. In total disregard of testing and contract tracing levels set by his own health officials.
While Newsom encourages Californians to wear masks, he has stopped short of a statewide mandate. Even if such a decree is unenforceable in the practical sense, it would still send a strong message and tilt societal acceptance. It’s almost as if Newsom forgets 62% of the electorate voted for him.
Locally, scattered examples of fortitude have been drowned out by buck-passing and undermining. Seldom more blatantly than when two Fresno County supervisors, Buddy Mendes and Steve Brandau, went out of their way to weaken a mask order issued by their own county health officer.
CDC alters stance on masks
Perhaps there would be more widespread acceptance of masks had the Centers for Disease Control sooner made up its mind.
After months of maintaining that healthy people didn’t need to wear masks to prevent catching or spreading coronavirus, the nation’s top health officials reversed course.
That the CDC changed its stance based on new evidence from recent studies matters little. Those who’ve fallen into the masks-as-political-wedge trap (thanks again, Mr. President) smell a rat, which brings out their inner conspiracy theorist.
As a result, stories and videos about the CDC’s new mask recommendations are countered by 2-month-old ones. And when media outlets like The Bee remove outdated videos from their websites, we get accused of censoring the news.
How badly have we bungled this pandemic? Here are the numbers. Judge for yourself.
The United States has an estimated population of 330 million people. That’s 4.2% of the 7.8 billion humans inhabiting planet Earth.
Curious then, that the world’s wealthiest nation accounts for roughly 26% of the world’s COVID-19 cases and nearly the exact same percentage of deaths.
I can practically hear the Deflector Generals howling through my monitor: The U.S. does more testing than countries in Africa or South America. Of course we have a disproportionately high number of cases.
OK. Then account for Europe, home to 747 million people – more than double the population of the U.S. Yet European countries account for 28% of the world’s total cases, 2% more than ours.
Gradual decline of new cases
Look at the curves of Italy, Germany and Spain, where coronavirus struck weeks before it did here. Their rate of new cases in those countries reached a clear peak in late March (Italy and Spain) and early April (Germany), followed by an equally clear descent.
Ours? The curve peaked in early-to-mid April, dropped a little, went up a little and has only gradually fallen off since May.
Which is why I chuckle every time someone uses the term “second wave” to describe the recent uptick in more than 20 states and right here in the central San Joaquin Valley.
Second wave? We’re still surfing the first one, stuck in the undertow.
Until there’s an effective vaccine, our national policy on coronavirus is one of letting nature run its course. These last three months have shown we lack the discipline and fortitude for anything else.
Some of us will get infected, never realize it and spread the virus. Some of us will get sick and recover without a hospital stay. Others won’t be so lucky. Even if they survive, as most do, there’s still a chance of long-term lung, heart and kidney damage.
Don’t look for any leadership or guidance. We’re on our own.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 11:36 AM.
