For all of those saying that if we had begin social distancing in February, we would have prevented a widespread #coronavirus outbreak in the US. Hindsight is often 20/20, but not in this case. 1/7

There is a concept known as "presence" in persuasion. It simply means that an issue needs to be relevant and meaningful before people will attend to it. #coronavirus was neither in the US in Feb. 2/7

The drastic measures we have taken to isolate ourselves, shut down our businesses, stop going to work can only be justified in the face of the recognition of an equally drastic threat. 3/7

It was hard enough to get people to practice social distancing in March and April; it would have been impossible in February. To think otherwise ignores human nature. Epidemiologists with overblown models did not help the cause. 4/7

Common sense tells us that millions, or hundreds of thousands of deaths, were not ever going to happen. Outlandish models contributed to the perception that the dangers were being exaggerated and probably made it harder to convince Americans that social distancing was needed. 5/7

Likewise, when we are told that we need to maintain social distancing until the fall, or that we may not be able to vote in person in November, most people see that as more hysteria. 6/7

We need to know that (1) the drastic actions we are taking now will be worth it, and (2) that there is an end to it. Americans will not be locked up in our homes forever. We need to start hearing a plan for an end to this. Now. 7/7