Experts Sound the Alarm: Rising Cases the Result of Trump’s Push to Reopen & Will Lead to More Deaths, Economic Pain
Experts warned President Trump that reopening the economy too soon would endanger American lives. Now, following President Trump’s defiance, coronavirus cases are rising in 22 states and Puerto Rico while hospitalizations are spiking across the country.
Experts agree that Trump’s ongoing failure to manage the virus’ spread will lead to more deaths and further economic consequences. Here’s a look at what they’re saying:
Public Health Experts Say Trump’s Push For States To Reopen Before They Had Sufficient Testing And Contact-Tracing Infrastructure Made Americans Less Safe
- University Of Oxford Infectious Disease Specialist Peter Drobac: “Unfortunately, Many States Began To Reopen Their Economies Just As New Infections Were Starting To Tick Up. We Are Just Beginning To See The Consequences.” “As outbreaks started to improve in states hit hard early on, such as New York, New Jersey and Washington, the national trends started to look better, Peter Drobac, a physician and specialist in infectious diseases and public health at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, U.K., told Newsweek. ‘That gave the illusion that the situation was improving everywhere,’ he said. ‘But in reality, the virus was just starting to take hold in much of the country. Early shelter-in-place orders and social distancing delayed the spread somewhat. Unfortunately, many states began to reopen their economies just as new infections were starting to tick up. We are just beginning to see the consequences.’” [Newsweek, 6/15/20]
- Amanda M. Simanek, Associate Professor In Epidemiology At The University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Joseph J. Zilber School Of Public Health, Argued That Many States Eased Lockdown Measures Before Establishing Necessary Testing And Contract Tracing Infrastructure. “Simanek said many states eased lockdown measures before they had met the right criteria, including by building up the necessary infrastructure. That includes testing and contact tracing capabilities, which she said are ‘the primary means by which to prevent new cases from leading to wide-scale outbreaks.’” [Newsweek, 6/15/20]
- University Of Arizona Epidemiologist Katherine Ellingson Emphasized That A Fast, Rapid Reopening Meant States Did Not Have Time To Mobilize Contact Tracing And Isolation That Could Control Outbreaks. “A slower reopening gives public health agencies time to identify whether or not cases are rising and then respond with contact tracing and isolating those who are infected. ‘With a fast, rapid reopening, we don’t have the time to mobilize those resources,’ said Ellingson.” [NPR, 6/14/20]
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center Infectious Disease Expert Dr. William Schaffner Explained That Far From Slowing Down Over The Summer, Coronavirus Was “Having New Opportunities To Spread.” “’Covid’s not taking a summer vacation,’ said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert and professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. ‘It’s actually having new opportunities to spread.’” [CNN, 6/15/20]
And Because Of Trump’s Ongoing Failure To Manage The Spread Of The Coronavirus, States May Have To Shut Down Yet Again
- George Washington University School Of Medicine Professor Dr. Jonathan Reiner: “We’re Going To Have To Face The Harsh Reality In Some States That We May Need To Shut Down Again.” “’We’re going to have to face the harsh reality in some states that we may need to shut down again,’ said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor at George Washington University School of Medicine.” [CNN, 6/15/20]
- CDC Deputy Director Of Infectious Diseases Jay Butler Emphasized That Strict Social Distancing Measures May Be Needed Again If Cases Go Up. “‘If cases begin to go up again, particularly if they go up dramatically, it is important to recognize that more mitigation efforts such as what were implemented back in March may be needed again,’ said Jay Butler, the deputy director of infectious diseases at the CDC, who spoke to reporters along with CDC Director Robert Redfield.” [Reuters, 6/12/20]
- Harvard School Of Public Health Professor Michael Mina Warned That Most States Still Do Not Have The Capacity To Trace The Spread Of Coronavirus. “Michael Mina, a professor at Harvard’s School of Public Health, said debates over reopening are difficult because many states still don’t have the capacity to trace the virus. ‘Most places continue to fly blind,’ he said. ‘And that handcuffs people and forces them into a position where one of their only solutions is to close down again.’” [Politico, 6/12/20]
- Harvard Global Health Institute Director Dr. Ashish Jha Emphasized The Need To “Have Really Substantially Ramped-up Testing And Isolation [Of New Cases]” To Actually Limit The Spread Of The Coronavirus. “To maintain a reproduction number that’s just over 1, or better yet, push it back to just under 1, even in the midst of further re-opening ‘would take a lot of work,’ Jha says. ‘You’d have to have really substantially ramped-up testing and isolation [of new cases].’ There’s also evidence emerging that widespread use of masks by people when they are out in public could help, Jha notes. Unfortunately, he says, it is hard to envision the U.S. adopting any of these practices to a sufficient degree ‘based on where we are today.’” [NPR, 6/12/20]
Experts Are Warning That Trump’s Push To Prematurely Reopen States Will Cause An Increase In Coronavirus Deaths In The Coming Weeks
- University Of Oxford Infectious Disease Specialist Peter Drobac: “With Many States Seeing Sharp Increases In New Cases And Hospitalizations, We Can Expect To See Deaths Increase Over The Next Few Weeks.” “The academics told Newsweek they expect death counts to follow the same rising pattern, as it takes time for those who fall sick to become seriously ill and die. ‘Across the country, the number of COVID-19 deaths has continued to decline slowly, but we can expect that to change,’ Drobac said. ‘With many states seeing sharp increases in new cases and hospitalizations, we can expect to see deaths increase over the next few weeks.’” [Newsweek, 6/15/20]
- Boston University School Of Public Health Infectious Disease Epidemiologist Helen Jenkins Predicted An Increase In Coronavirus Deaths Over The Next Couple Weeks. “Jenkins said increases in deaths tend to take place around a month after an increase in cases. In the U.S., this means more deaths may not be seen for another couple of weeks. The lag partly depends on when the virus affects the older population in a location, particularly in nursing homes which have been hard-hit in the pandemic, she said. ‘The lag time between infections and deaths means that we need to act now—rather than wait for the deaths to start to rise—in those places to reduce transmission and save more lives,’ said Jenkins.” [Newsweek, 6/15/20]
If The U.S. Does Not Embrace A Better Containment Strategy, It Will Continue Seeing 25,000 To 30,000 Additional Deaths A Month “For The Foreseeable Future”
- Harvard Global Health Institute Director Dr. Ashish Jha: “If Things Stay Basically Status Quo And We Continue Doing What We’re Doing, We’re Going To Continue Seeing 25,000 To 30,000 Additional Deaths A Month For The Foreseeable Future.” “’If things stay basically status quo and we continue doing what we’re doing, we’re going to continue seeing 25,000 to 30,000 additional deaths a month for the foreseeable future,’ Jha says. Grim as it is, even this picture may be overly rosy, Jha adds. ‘I’m worried that the idea that we’re going to stay flat all summer is a very optimistic view of what is going to happen over the next three months,’ he says.” [NPR, 6/12/20]