What The U.S. Might Learn From China’s Approach To COVID-19
What The U.S. Might Learn From China’s Approach To COVID-19
4/29/2020 by NPR
‘New York Times’ health and science reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr. points to China as a model of how to stop a fast moving pandemic in its tracks. “We’re reluctant to follow China, but they did it,” he says. McNeil talks about the challenges facing the U.S. as states move to reopen. “We’re nowhere near getting on top of this virus,” he says.
I could be wrong – I was wrong about social distancing being embraced in the first place so extensively – but I tend to think for the most part once social distancing disappears it won’t reappear unless hospitals really pass their breaking point or so many people get sick that the labor pool starts to dry up. I think people will take a more fatalistic view of the virus and come to the realization that many more may die before its all over – and we can’t afford to save every life by sacrificing our future.
I could see blue states doing more to slow spread going forward and looking down on red states but ultimately they have bills to pay too. Medically suboptimal compromises will have to be made. Plus I have a lot of doubt they’ll find a vaccine right away – wishful thinking is to say science can solve any problem with enough money. I could see Coronavirus out running a vaccine, burning through the whole population before the vaccine even is finalized. But it’s still a worthwhile proposition to protect future generations.
We don’t know. But it’s still a fascinating interview by a scientist who knows a lot more about viruses then myself.