MIAMI, Florida – The mysterious coronavirus has hit the United States and the number of confirmed cases is escalating rapidly. At the end of February, just some 60 cases were reported in the U.S. and no reported deaths. Up to the time of writing, over 1000 cases have been confirmed and at least 37 patients have died.
At the beginning of this week, Florida, which had no known cases a week before, had 18 confirmed cases, including four in Broward County, and about 300 people were being monitored for possibly contracting the virus.
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to provide accurate real-time reporting of coronavirus cases in the U.S., with the disease spreading so quickly.
Additionally, people are very concerned and are craving accurate information on how to prevent and/or treat the virus.
While politicians grapple with the gravity of the situation in the U.S., people are left in the dark as to the severity of the outbreak.
Certainly, in a crisis like this, there is usually some level of anxiety as it pertains to transparency from our public officials. The coronavirus outbreak is a national emergency. People will have to contend with the reality of the situation, so they need to know the truth. That’s the only way to enable them to exercise good judgment.
Mixed messages
Adding to the public’s anxiety is the apparent chaos surrounding the dissemination of information out of Washington. Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis and Vice President Mike Pence, the lead man in the fight to stymie the virus, reassured cruise company CEOs that cruising would continue, despite the outbreak of the virus on cruise liners. Two days later, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory, warning U.S. citizens of an increased risk of infection of the coronavirus, on cruise ships. Additionally, people over 60, the segment of the population most vulnerable to the virus, have been told to avoid cruise ships.
The comparison of the number of deaths caused by the flu each year and what the coronavirus has caused so far has become a popular talking point. While more people die from the flu each year, at least there are vaccines and medications to treat it. The same cannot be said for the coronavirus, which has no vaccines or definitive treatment.
Unfortunately, while countries like South Korea have provided adequate medical kits and can perform more than 10,000 tests per day, the U.S. is nowhere near there, apparently due to inadequate supplies.
Americans, including Floridians, are not feeling secure, as each day more cases of the dreaded coronavirus are reported. Politicians are urged to give free passage to the scientists and medical professionals to lead the communication channels during this mounting crisis. Americans should not be panicking because they don’t know what to believe. Level with the people!
