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IMPORTANTAs an ER doctor and as a fellow citizen I want to see the economy and our society open back up as much as anyone. Here’s the thing…. (1/16) https://www.npr.org/2020/04/18/837776218/across-america-frustrated-protesters-rally-to-reopen-the-economy
We MUST do it right. Lives are at stake — as doctors we see that each and every day — and we know our economy is at stake as well. (2/16) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/opinion/coronavirus-reopen-economy.html
Look at the damage already done to our economy. An estimated:
22 million American workers laid off
15% to 20% unemployment
9 million newly uninsured Americans
This is truly an economic catastrophe. But if we don’t do this right, it WILL get worse. (3/16) https://twitter.com/ritholtz/status/1251495217745838082
22 million American workers laid off
15% to 20% unemployment
9 million newly uninsured Americans
This is truly an economic catastrophe. But if we don’t do this right, it WILL get worse. (3/16) https://twitter.com/ritholtz/status/1251495217745838082
After talking with @cmteetoprotect docs, public health officials, and experts, and looking at data from around the world, I’m convinced the worst case scenario is acting too quickly before we have a real plan on testing. (4/16) https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/16/coronavirus-testing-needs-to-be-widely-done-before-economy-reopens.html
According to this NEW @nytimes piece, we need at least 500,000 tests/day in the United States and for weeks we have been stuck at about 150,000 tests/day. (5/16) https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-testing-states.html
Why 500,000+ tests/day? Because to slow and contain the spread, we need to know who has COVID-19, then we can isolate them, and finally we need to trace their contacts to test those individuals. With so many asymptomatic spreaders of COVID-19 this protocol is essential. (6/16)
Experts across the political spectrum have been calling for a massive expansion of testing and a real plan from @realdonaldtrump. NOT to score political points but to save lives and get people back to work. (7/16) https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1251338269511442433
Instead of heeding those calls or announcing a testing plan, the President is seeking to distract, divide, and blame. And it's not just the President, it’s also the right wing billionaires who benefit from his tax cuts and bailouts. (8/16)
Did you think that protest in Michigan this past week was organic? There may be some energy behind it, but these protests are funded & organized by the President’s billionaire allies including Orgs funded by Betsy Devos. Their goal is to divide us. (9/16) https://twitter.com/MelissaRyan/status/1251250932823863296
So is the public on their side? Quite the opposite, some polls show over 80% of Americans support shelter in place. It is very significant that most Americans are standing with doctors and experts. So, why do I care about all this as an ER doc? (10/16) https://twitter.com/DC_DeWitt/status/1250816632785719296
I care because if we screw this up and go back to work and back to “normal” life before a plan for testing is in place, the economic and human consequences will be devastating. That is not what the American people deserve. (11/16)
Without a plan on testing and fully going back to normal, many doctors and experts think we would quickly see an acceleration in cases followed by another peak as bad as our current peak in just 2 to 4 weeks. (12/16)
Without a plan on testing and with another round of lockdowns & quarantines, workers & businesses would see a great deal of uncertainty about what's next & about how long this will last. Do we want to undo all our hard work? (13/16)
Throughout this crisis I have seen two things quite clearly: (1) the power of the President to move public opinion and thereby change the actions of millions of Americans and (2) the danger of not having a plan. That's why we need a plan now. (14/16) https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/25/trump-coronavirus-national-security-council-149285
I’m inspired by the people I talk to across the country & see in the ER in my community. Regardless of our differences, most people want real leadership & a real plan from the President. Americans simply want what’s best for their families, not divide & conquer politics (15/16)
And that is what they deserve. From citizens, ER docs, and experts, @realdonaldtrump, we all want to stay healthy and reopen the economy. That means at least 500,000 tests/day. What’s the plan? END
