The Coronavirus Pandemic

This post is definitely a bit different than what I normally talk about on this blog, but since it is such a pressing issue affecting everyone around the world, I feel it is important that I share my thoughts on the Coronavirus pandemic.

First, I would like to comment on the mismanagement of the issue from the start. In China, they delayed their reports and responses on the issue for months, effectively hiding the issue from the rest of the world and dismissing it as a small bug that is only lethal to the elderly. At first, everyone thought this virus was akin to the flu; however, the situation quickly evolved into a crisis as people and governments realized how much of a threat the virus truly is. Almost every government, the U.S. included, has mismanaged the issue and not taken the necessary steps to curb this global pandemic. While the government and the Federal Reserve are busy spending trillions of dollars on rate cuts, bailouts, and economic stimuli, the fact remains that until there is some sort of treatment for this virus, nothing will change. Instead of spending multiple trillions of dollars on pumping the stock market, the government needs to fund research, pay for and distribute more tests, and aid 3M in the production of more N95 masks for health officials, at-risk demographics, and later, the general public. The government is spending money on the wrong things. Airline bailouts are useless unless people wish to continue flying, and they will not be until this crisis is under control.

Politically, this issue has been a train wreck from the start. From the beginning the public was lied to. The United States government knew exactly what was in store, and instead of preparing the nation and taking steps for the disaster that was about to ensue, greedy senators lined their pockets with gold, selling all their stocks and making sure only the American people feel the disastrous economic effects of the crisis. The government knew what would happen, but they decided to downplay the issue, act slowly, and not emphasize the gravity of the issue. The fact is that nobody in power is taking meaningful steps to solve the issue. So far, the only response, one which I would not even consider viable, has come from the Fed, and that response, like the response to every other economic threat in the past few years, has been to cut interest rates and print more money. Obviously, this is a ridiculous solution; it is like giving a kid answers to homework he does not know how to do and wondering why he fails his test. Officials are avoiding the root of the problem, and are trying to mitigate the effects without addressing the issue at hand.

So what needs to happen right now? The government needs to take action by helping make safety gear, funding research, and helping to mitigate the transmission of the disease by mandating masks. The public also needs to take action and listen to what the CDC and WHO are saying. This is not the time to rebel. This is a time for the entire world to band together to help solve this crisis, so we can make it through this crisis alive.