Trump’s impatience to get back to the pre-pandemic state of affairs will make matters worse

As I am sure everyone is aware, the world is basically shutting down due to COVID-19. In Canada, all non-essential businesses are closed and will stay closed for sometime. In certain states there have been stay-at-home orders put into place that require people to self-isolate. 

The impact is already harming the economy tremendously, and many economists believe that we are heading into a recession. But don’t worry — Donald Trump knows a solution (please note the sarcasm), which is to get back to work.

Trump stated that he wanted the U.S. to be back to its pre-virus state by Easter, which many experts are pushing back against. A lot of people also believe that the only way for the economy to really function again is to control the virus. 

It is important that long term goals are looked at: yes, the economy needs to be worked on, but only after the virus has run the course. If every single person goes back to work tomorrow, the virus is just going to spread exponentially faster. 

It is also important to note that the Obama administration set up a board of directors for global health security and biodefense after the Ebola outbreak of 2014, in order to prepare the U.S. for other pandemics. It would be an amazing thing if Trump’s administration had not eliminated the board and, in turn, made the country more prepared for an outbreak like COVID-19. 

On March 27, the US surpassed China and Italy in the total number of infections, and Trump responded by saying that the only reason their total number is higher is because they are doing more testing than other nations. 

This is not true, considering South Korea administered more tests per capita than the U.S. has. After these statistics came out, Trump stopped referring to Easter as the time when the country will reopen. 

And while the world is in the middle of a pandemic, where people are worried about losing their jobs and are forced to stay home, Trump is on Twitter talking about his press conference ratings. He tweeted a snippet of a review of his press conference, written by Michael M. Grynbaum, a New York Times reporter on March 29 which stated  “’President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of ‘The Bachelor.’ Numbers are continuing to rise…’”

Trump’s time in office has been one misstep after another in my opinion, and I believe that his reactions to COVID-19 are just the icing on the cake. From calling it the “Chinese virus” to his slow and uninformed media responses, in which he often berates reporters who are asking the tough questions, show that he is not equipped to lead a country that is in distress. To me this is a scary thought. 

The U.S. deserves to have someone in charge who is focused on their long-term success, and not just on their television ratings. They should have someone who is empathetic towards the countries who are also experiencing high levels of infection, not calling a pandemic the “Chinese virus.”

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