The U.S. reaction to covid-19 lacked presidential leadership from the beginning. The basics of pandemic response are not a mystery.
The country needed a national strategy of testing, tracing and quarantine, including the systematic provision of tests and tracing support where needed. But for months, the United States lagged badly behind the world in testing (and remains far behind Germany and Italy).
And out of an estimated national need for 100,000 to 300,000 contact tracers, a recent National Public Radio survey of states found 7,062 currently employed. (South Africa, by way of comparison, has about 28,000 contact tracers.)
This is utter failure by any measure. A pandemic cannot be confronted by the patchwork policies of states, cities and counties.
Those divisions mean nothing to the virus. We needed a national effort to provide tests. We need national standards and detailed guidance on economic reopening — not the vague, dumbed-down version the administration dumped on the states. We need federal support, guidance and monitoring to ensure that contact tracing is done well.
One expert on epidemiology told me via email: “I recently listened to a National Academy of Sciences event on covid-19. The head of the Chinese [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] mapped out what they did and how they are approaching reopening — all from a national perspective. A number of European countries also have sophisticated strategies. It makes what the U.S. is doing look like a kindergarten homework assignment. Appalling. Just appalling.”
The country needed a national strategy of testing, tracing and quarantine, including the systematic provision of tests and tracing support where needed. But for months, the United States lagged badly behind the world in testing (and remains far behind Germany and Italy).
And out of an estimated national need for 100,000 to 300,000 contact tracers, a recent National Public Radio survey of states found 7,062 currently employed. (South Africa, by way of comparison, has about 28,000 contact tracers.)
This is utter failure by any measure. A pandemic cannot be confronted by the patchwork policies of states, cities and counties.
Those divisions mean nothing to the virus. We needed a national effort to provide tests. We need national standards and detailed guidance on economic reopening — not the vague, dumbed-down version the administration dumped on the states. We need federal support, guidance and monitoring to ensure that contact tracing is done well.
One expert on epidemiology told me via email: “I recently listened to a National Academy of Sciences event on covid-19. The head of the Chinese [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] mapped out what they did and how they are approaching reopening — all from a national perspective. A number of European countries also have sophisticated strategies. It makes what the U.S. is doing look like a kindergarten homework assignment. Appalling. Just appalling.”
