With the coronavirus, the right action looks like an overreaction as it’s happening.
As the harms of social distancing become more and more apparent, Americans may start to wonder: Are we overreacting to the coronavirus pandemic?
A few people (although not most of the public) seem to think so. Some federal officials, from President Donald Trump to Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), have asked if “the cure is proving worse than the disease itself.” Protesters in several states, including Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky, have called for lockdowns to end, arguing that the damage to the economy is too much to bear.
This is a question public health experts and officials expected from the start. As Kent State University epidemiologist Tara Smith told me, “It’s the paradox of public health: When you do it right, nothing happens.”
The problem with proper prevention, the linchpin of many public health strategies, is that there’s no clear indication when it works. There’s no public celebration when a coronavirus case or death doesn’t happen.
And in the meantime, the economic damage of closing down America is readily apparent. Some economists warn that the unemployment rate could surpass 30 percent. About 22 million have filed unemployment claims since social distancing measures took effect in March. The lines for food aid are stretching for blocks across the country. It’s now much more difficult — if not impossible — to visit family and friends and partake in many favorite hobbies and activities…
To read the entire article from Vox, click https://www.vox.com/2020/4/17/21220786/coronavirus-pandemic-overreact-social-distancing
