The COVID-19 crisis in the United States did not start on March 16, when President Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force issued its “15 Days to Slow the Spread” guidelines, and it’s not going to end on day 15, which is next Monday or Tuesday, depending on how you count.
So neither can social distancing measures that are the single best way to slow the virus’ spread.
All responsible public health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, know this. The question is whether they can get through to the president, who every day acts as though the economy will be able to rev back up within a matter of days (or, magically, by Easter).
His impatience is understandable; nobody wants another Great Depression. But prematurely ending social distancing measures in order to meet an arbitrary timeline is likely to speed the virus’ spread exponentially, costing thousands of lives and risking even more severe economic wreckage in the balance.
Trump seems confused about what a 15-day pause means. Yes, if each and every American underwent at-home isolation, it would stop the virus in its tracks, particularly if paired with timely testing for the infection. But the same rule doesn’t apply to the nation; rules and compliance with those rules have been all over the place.
Fortunately for Americans whose lives are on the line, Trump isn’t the one who controls clampdowns; 50 governors do. They must be smarter about striking the delicate balance between letting a potentially lethal contagion run wild and reanimating a stalled economy.
