COVID-19 equals economic and cultural endemic for U.S.

The COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States with a roar, and despite some earlier claims that it might not come to the country by optimists and if it did, would be well under control have dissipated in a cloud of fear and uncertainty, and the country has begun a series of commercial shut downs that have not only isolated some Americans but also led to a vast sense of panic, fear, hoarding, and an exacerbation of cultural and racial fears, exposing perhaps more than ever some of the inequalities in American society, and affected steady if not spectacular job gains.

President Trump’s early statements were positive and reassuring, but quickly devolved into a series of questionable statements that made many anxious, as if he was dismissing the threat to Americans, and some observers, and critics, said that this was done, in order to preserve his major reelection plank: that the economy was strong stable and secure; one that sent the White House to reevaluate the threat,

The optics at a press conference on Friday raised more questions than answers and the subsequent glad-handing, and sight of lawmakers, and medical officials shaking hands, and touching microphones belied whatever good intentions that the media was expecting, not to mention the American public.

While that might have increased the political divide between Republicans and Democrats, the resulting fallout seemed to have made matters worse with local and state officials asking the federal government for assistance, be it for more hospitals, or protective equipment.

Not having FEMA taking the lead also led to stock market worries and the closings of restaurants, museums, and some workplaces has led to economic fears, and conspiracy theories have abounded about the source, and some have said that the virus itself was planted by Trump.

Frustration was evident, weeks ago, when Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana asked the acting head of Homeland Security Chad Wolfe, “How many people are expected to be affected, and said, in exasperation, “I’m all for committees and task forces but you're the secretary, I think you ought to know the answer.”

In the face of curfews, school closings and demands for public libraries to close, the earlier statement of Health and Human Services secretary, Alex Azar, “We cannot hermetically seal off the United States to a virus,” rang true for many.

Trump did not help matters by saying on a state trip to India that the virus “is very well under control in our country.”

World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he was alarmed by the level of inaction, but most importantly, “We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus,” reported The Wall Street Journal.

Globally, the hodgepodge of efforts has spread the fear factor to the U.S., although China’s efforts has been rewarded, after being the source and once epicenter, with a declaration of victory with their efforts at reduction, of less than 30 new infections, as of Wednesday.

Now the U.S. has been brought to a standstill in many urban areas and farfetched statements have been made: some African Americans were overheard, misquoting a popular television preacher, saying that the virus is retribution for the sins of American slavery and racism.

Still others have said that popular novelist Dean Koontz had predicted this outbreak in a book, and taking events even further, in a demonstrated a “blithe disregard” (a term coined by The New York Times) for the realities of others, as witnessed by a young white millennial stating, at a local Chicago branch library, “everyone should just work from home.” 

When reminded that not everyone could do that, especially those in service jobs and in rural areas, he airily suggested, “then we will stay at home, so they can work.”

Meanwhile suggestions have flown like arrows throughout the country with some like Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker suggested, in a Tweet, that the federal government needed to get its act together although he substituted a popular slang term.

The role of the Army Corps of Engineers has been questioned along with that of the Defense Department and Navy hospitals yet that in, and of itself, is in question, that not having received specific orders, their role and skills have been seen only in the theater of war, and not in a national medical crisis.

Adding fuel to the fire is the rumor that a leaked memo from the Center for Disease Control said that the situation could last as long as 18 months.

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that there were suggestions that Navy medical ships should be harbored on the Hudson River to receive the sick, or house non-infected patients from area hospitals.

Neither of which has been confirmed. And, a proposed shipment of 2,000 ventilators for a hospital was deemed inadequate.

Compounding these efforts is that public health in America is the responsibilities of the states and local governments, a fact little known to the general public.

The greatest threat is, of course, the American economy that while showing steady job growth, even without corresponding wages, is now predicted to be on a downward slide with the possible loss of millions of jobs with “layoffs, lost wages . . .and the threat of the business cycle,” reported the Los Angeles Times.

Hard hits have been taken by the world of professional sports who thrive on large crowds of cheering fans, and has now seen the suspension of March Madness, basketball games, as well as the threat of cancellations of Major League baseball opening day, or playing to empty stadiums

With an overall projection of $1 trillion, there were broad concerns about the lending industry supporting both personal and commercial needs; and, which has seen the stock market already on a downward spiral after weeks of a roller coaster ride.

Worries of the differences between treasures and futures are sending investors into a panic mode “because signs of stress there can foretell lending pullbacks,” according to the Journal.

Most economists and academics are fearing that a recession is imminent.

The Federal Reserve has slashed interest rates to near zero and on Thursday, the Senate approved a House bill to give emergency relief to American workers, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin which would place money directly into the hands of most Americans.  

“The first one would be $1,000 per person, $500 per child,” Mnuchin said. “So for a family of four, that’s a $3,000 payment.”

“As soon as Congress passes this, we get this out in three weeks. And then, six weeks later, if the president still has a national emergency, we’ll deliver another $3,000,” Mnuchin said in a Fox Business Network interview.

Furthermore, as CNBC.com reported, “Mnuchin said the White House’s plan would also allocate $300 billion for small businesses, noting that “there will be loan forgiveness” for employees who keep their workers on the payroll. $200 billion would also be used for “more facilities” with the Federal Reserve, as well as secured lending to airlines and other critical industries being strangled by the crisis.”

There is some opposition to the airline industry getting support, since with its last cash infusion after 9/11 and with the corporate tax reduction, many put most of the money into stock buyback options and executive salaries.

This one time effort will not be enough said, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who in the same report suggested “instead that providing expanded and “beefed-up” unemployment insurance would cover Americans “for a much longer time and would provide a much bigger safety net.”

While it’s clear that a multi pronged effort is needed, just how long this will last, or if further measures will be needed, “Earlier this month, the president signed into law an $8.3 billion bill that sailed through Congress with near-unanimous support. On Wednesday, Trump signed an additional $100 billion package that includes provisions for emergency paid leave for workers as well as free testing for the deadly virus,” added CNBC.

Compromising the entire dilemma is that in the U.S. who, where and when people can get tested depends on where you live, with some, noted the Journal, getting access and test results in hours, and some measures limited to those who may or may not be symptomatic.

CDC kits were defective, at first but have been corrected, but while public health labs are cost free, the delay means the ongoing epidemiology of the virus is hurting research efforts.

Adding to the piecemeal approach is that necessary materials to make the test kits are in short supply, making most, if not many, vulnerable to this virus.