washingtonmonthly--2020-03-13--What Happens When Trump’s Pattern of Dealing With a Threat Doesn’t Work?

Dan Diamond , who writes about health issues for Politico , exposed the way that sycophants in the Trump administration have failed to respond effectively to the coronavirus .
Of particular concern is the battle underway between Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Seema Verma , the administrator for Medicare and Medicaid Services .
They appear to be in competition to gain the president ’ s favor .
During a conversation about that with Terry Gross on NPR , he revealed how it has affected the federal government ’ s response to a pandemic ( emphasis mine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to show that they ’ re incredibly active and aggressive in public , but some of the decisions behind the scenes haven ’ t always reflected the best judgment of career professionals .
In the case of Alex Azar , he did go to the president in January .
He did push past resistance from the president ’ s political aides to warn the president the new coronavirus could be a major problem .
There were aides around Trump – Kellyanne Conway had some skepticism at times that this was something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But at the same time , Secretary Azar has not always given the president the worst-case scenario of what could happen .
My understanding is he did not push to do aggressive additional testing in recent weeks , and that ’ s partly because more testing might have led to more cases being discovered of coronavirus outbreak , and the president had made clear — the lower the numbers on coronavirus , the better for the president , the better for his potential reelection this fall .
That not only explains the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it tells us why the administration has so consistently lied about the spread of the virus in the United States .
But the president had already signaled his obsession with keeping the number of cases low during remarks to the press last week .
Trump was addressing the question of what his administration would do about passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship , where an outbreak of coronavirus had occurred .
While the coronavirus was spreading all over the country , the president wanted to keep the numbers artificially low because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they lied , which is what Trump always does .
But as Kevin Drum noted , it ’ s not working this time .
You can get away with this for a while , especially if you have Fox News and talk radio to back you up .
And the longer you get away with it , the more convinced you become that it will always work , that everything in politics is marketing .
So eventually you go too far : you try to deny the reality of an epidemic that even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You double down by quoting obviously bogus testing numbers .
But unlike your previous delusions , this one has real consequences : since testing and tracing are the backbone of infectious disease control , a lack of testing makes the epidemic even worse .
You might remember that Trump didn ’ t just lie about what was happening , he joked about the Democrats politicizing the crisis and called it a hoax .
That was an attempt to distract his supporters and get them focused on how he had been under siege @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It allowed him to compare the criticisms of his handling of the situation to the Russia investigation and his impeachment .
But ultimately , whenever Trump feels challenged , he becomes obsessed with finding someone to blame .
You can see him attempting to deflect blame during his remarks about the cruise ship .
Even though it had absolutely no bearing on the situation , he felt the need to point out that the coronavirus outbreak on the ship “ wasn ’ t our fault.
” Perhaps because he recognizes that he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of this crisis , the president went into full blame mode on Twitter Thursday night .
In case you ’ re wondering , nothing in either of those tweets resembles the truth .
But using lies to blame an opponent for your own failures is typical of the current leader of a party that once billed itself as a proponent of “ personal responsibility.
” Since the beginning of Trump ’ s presidency , he has always resorted to his pattern of lie , distract , and blame when challenged .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us who live in the reality-based world , it has often worked to maintain the loyalty of his most ardent followers .
As the coronavirus reaches the stage of exponential growth in this country , will it continue to work ?
That is doubtful .
It is at that point that we ’ re likely to see him ramp up the divisiveness of xenophobia to defend himself—which is when things will really get dark .

Dan Diamond, who writes about health issues for Politico, exposed the way that sycophants in the Trump administration have failed to respond effectively to the coronavirus. Of particular concern is the battle underway between Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Seema Verma, the administrator for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They appear to be in competition to gain the president’s favor. During a conversation about that with Terry Gross on NPR, he revealed how it has affected the federal government’s response to a pandemic (emphasis mine).
I think they are both trying to show that they’re incredibly active and aggressive in public, but some of the decisions behind the scenes haven’t always reflected the best judgment of career professionals. In the case of Alex Azar, he did go to the president in January. He did push past resistance from the president’s political aides to warn the president the new coronavirus could be a major problem. There were aides around Trump – Kellyanne Conway had some skepticism at times that this was something that needed to be a presidential priority. But at the same time, Secretary Azar has not always given the president the worst-case scenario of what could happen. My understanding is he did not push to do aggressive additional testing in recent weeks, and that’s partly because more testing might have led to more cases being discovered of coronavirus outbreak, and the president had made clear — the lower the numbers on coronavirus, the better for the president, the better for his potential reelection this fall.
That not only explains the lack of tests that have been made available, it tells us why the administration has so consistently lied about the spread of the virus in the United States. But the president had already signaled his obsession with keeping the number of cases low during remarks to the press last week.
Trump was addressing the question of what his administration would do about passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship, where an outbreak of coronavirus had occurred.
[My experts] would like to have the people come off. I’d rather have the people stay, but I’d go with them. I told them to make the final decision. I would rather—because I like the numbers being where they are. I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.
While the coronavirus was spreading all over the country, the president wanted to keep the numbers artificially low because it served his own interests. So they lied, which is what Trump always does. But as Kevin Drum noted, it’s not working this time.
You can get away with this for a while, especially if you have Fox News and talk radio to back you up. And the longer you get away with it, the more convinced you become that it will always work, that everything in politics is marketing. So eventually you go too far: you try to deny the reality of an epidemic that even your most fervent supporters know is real. You double down by quoting obviously bogus testing numbers. But unlike your previous delusions, this one has real consequences: since testing and tracing are the backbone of infectious disease control, a lack of testing makes the epidemic even worse.
You might remember that Trump didn’t just lie about what was happening, he joked about the Democrats politicizing the crisis and called it a hoax. That was an attempt to distract his supporters and get them focused on how he had been under siege from the beginning of his presidency. It allowed him to compare the criticisms of his handling of the situation to the Russia investigation and his impeachment.
But ultimately, whenever Trump feels challenged, he becomes obsessed with finding someone to blame. You can see him attempting to deflect blame during his remarks about the cruise ship. Even though it had absolutely no bearing on the situation, he felt the need to point out that the coronavirus outbreak on the ship “wasn’t our fault.”
Perhaps because he recognizes that he can’t lie or distract his way out of this crisis, the president went into full blame mode on Twitter Thursday night.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1238288908431036423
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1238292145242603522
In case you’re wondering, nothing in either of those tweets resembles the truth. But using lies to blame an opponent for your own failures is typical of the current leader of a party that once billed itself as a proponent of “personal responsibility.”
Since the beginning of Trump’s presidency, he has always resorted to his pattern of lie, distract, and blame when challenged. While that has been apparent to those of us who live in the reality-based world, it has often worked to maintain the loyalty of his most ardent followers. As the coronavirus reaches the stage of exponential growth in this country, will it continue to work? That is doubtful. It is at that point that we’re likely to see him ramp up the divisiveness of xenophobia to defend himself—which is when things will really get dark.


washingtonmonthly--2020-03-13--Trump and McConnell Are Making Things Worse

There are some pretty shocking worst-case estimates of what the coronavirus can do in America .
The New York Times reports that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projected a nightmare scenario in which 217 million people in this country are infected and 1.7 million die .
But that was predicated , in part , based on people doing essentially nothing to stop the spread of the disease .
Other specialists have produced predictions based on what they think is most likely to happen .
Dr. [ James ] Lawler [ an infectious diseases specialist and public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center ] recently presented his own “ best guess ” projections to American hospital and health system executives at a private webinar convened by the American Hospital Association .
He estimated that some 96 million people in the U.S. would be infected .
Five out of every hundred would need hospitalization , which would mean close to five million hospital admissions , nearly two million of those patients requiring intensive care and about half of those needing the support of ventilators .
Dr. Lawler ’ s calculations suggested 480,000 deaths , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the conservative estimate , we ’ re in pretty big trouble .
So , why is President Trump refusing to declare a national emergency ?
After all , he declared one “ last February to divert billions that had been appropriated for the military to fund construction of his wall along the southern border.
” Why is Trump refusing to allow Medicaid to expand what they ’ re willing to cover ?
Despite mounting pleas from California and other states , the Trump administration isn ’ t allowing states to use Medicaid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis by expanding medical services .
In previous emergencies , including the 9/11 terrorist attacks , Hurricane Katrina and the H1N1 flu outbreak , both Republican and Democratic administrations loosened Medicaid rules to empower states to meet surging needs .
But months into the current global disease outbreak , the White House and senior federal health officials haven ’ t taken the necessary steps to give states simple pathways to fully leverage the mammoth safety net program to prevent a wider epidemic .
Why is Senate Majority Leader lying about what is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and refusing to support it ?
The answer appears to be that ego and ideological rigidity are blinding the Republicans in charge of our country .
Trump doesn ’ t want to admit that he blundered badly by not taking the crisis seriously , and McConnell just opposes things like unemployment insurance , paid time off , and Medicaid because he always takes the side of employers and never of employees .
In this case , however , they ’ re simply getting people killed unnecessarily .
If folks don ’ t take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they ’ ll spread the virus around .
To give an example of what this can mean , the person referred to as Patient 31 in South Korea singlehandedly infected thousands of people .
How much cheaper is it to pay sick people not to leave their house ?
Little things can have enormous consequences at a time like this , which is precisely why it ’ s such a disaster to have Trump and McConnell crafting the policy .
In truth , neither of them are offering anything constructive .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the folks who are trying to protect the public .

There are some pretty shocking worst-case estimates of what the coronavirus can do in America. The New York Times reports that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projected a nightmare scenario in which 217 million people in this country are infected and 1.7 million die. But that was predicated, in part, based on people doing essentially nothing to stop the spread of the disease.
Other specialists have produced predictions based on what they think is most likely to happen.
Dr. [James] Lawler [an infectious diseases specialist and public health expert at the University of Nebraska Medical Center] recently presented his own “best guess” projections to American hospital and health system executives at a private webinar convened by the American Hospital Association. He estimated that some 96 million people in the U.S. would be infected. Five out of every hundred would need hospitalization, which would mean close to five million hospital admissions, nearly two million of those patients requiring intensive care and about half of those needing the support of ventilators. Dr. Lawler’s calculations suggested 480,000 deaths, which he said was conservative.
If that’s the conservative estimate, we’re in pretty big trouble. So, why is President Trump refusing to declare a national emergency? After all, he declared one “last February to divert billions that had been appropriated for the military to fund construction of his wall along the southern border.”
Why is Trump refusing to allow Medicaid to expand what they’re willing to cover?
Despite mounting pleas from California and other states, the Trump administration isn’t allowing states to use Medicaid more freely to respond to the coronavirus crisis by expanding medical services. In previous emergencies, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the H1N1 flu outbreak, both Republican and Democratic administrations loosened Medicaid rules to empower states to meet surging needs. But months into the current global disease outbreak, the White House and senior federal health officials haven’t taken the necessary steps to give states simple pathways to fully leverage the mammoth safety net program to prevent a wider epidemic.
Why is Senate Majority Leader lying about what is in the House’s emergency coronavirus bill and refusing to support it?
The answer appears to be that ego and ideological rigidity are blinding the Republicans in charge of our country. Trump doesn’t want to admit that he blundered badly by not taking the crisis seriously, and McConnell just opposes things like unemployment insurance, paid time off, and Medicaid because he always takes the side of employers and never of employees.
In this case, however, they’re simply getting people killed unnecessarily. If folks don’t take off work when they’re sick, they’ll spread the virus around. To give an example of what this can mean, the person referred to as Patient 31 in South Korea singlehandedly infected thousands of people. How much cheaper is it to pay sick people not to leave their house?
Little things can have enormous consequences at a time like this, which is precisely why it’s such a disaster to have Trump and McConnell crafting the policy. In truth, neither of them are offering anything constructive. They’re just standing in the way of the folks who are trying to protect the public.


washingtonmonthly--2020-03-14--Trump Is Running a Pandemic Response Like a Business, With Disastrous Results

One of the most tired cliches in conservative politics is that we should run government like a business .
Donald Trump ’ s disastrous response to the coronavirus pandemic is a perfect demonstration of how pernicious that philosophy can be when applied to governance .
Much has already been said about how Donald Trump ’ s personality flaws and questionable policy obsessions have hampered America ’ s response to the growing pandemic .
His narcissism leaves him unable to consider anything but his own political fortunes , his racism makes him treat an international medical problem like a clash-of-civilizations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him unable to digest new information and respond with flexibility , must less act foresight to head off problems .
Whole books could be–and likely will be–written about how the convergent moral failings of the president and his favorite conservative infotainment networks have contributed to a ruinously incompetent response to the burgeoning pandemic crisis .
But even in more competent and empathetic hands , the Trump ( and more broadly , the conservative ) approach to governing philosophy would still be directly counter to the demands of the moment at a time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector .
At every step of the way , Trump and the conservative media have treated the coronavirus as a PR problem , a political problem , and a business problem .
They have tried to downplay the severity of the disease , tell people to continue life essentially as normal , continue flying and going on cruise lines , and boost the markets however possible .
Yesterday ’ s bizarre press conference was little more than an infomercial for some of the top health-related businesses in the Dow Jones average , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitment to doing vague somethings about the pandemic right before the closing bell .
It worked , at least for now : the Dow surged as a result of the upbeat corporate presentation .
For weeks now the administration has slow-played testing under the theory that lower reported numbers would somehow look better and magically change the actual reality on ground until the problem went away .
Like so much of modern American business culture , the ethic here is short-sighted and self-serving at best , and cruel , callous and malevolent at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ markets are explicitly designed to be reactive rather than proactive , and every incentive in them is to push for growth at all costs .
Problems are meant to be pushed to the side and out of sight so the good times can keep rolling at the top ; inconvenient costs are externalized and socialized on the backs of workers , the impoverished and the environment .
In the best of times this creates massive inequalities and injustices that the market doesn ’ t notice , because the victims most affected are insignificant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand .
But in the worst of times , it utterly hobbles a society ’ s ability to respond to crises that require active management before they can be directly felt in the marketplace .
The coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis are relevantly similar here : by the time the capital markets notice there is a problem enough to affect their bottom lines , it will be far too late to actually solve the problem .
It ’ s true of any problem with an exponential curve whose solution requires acting well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but where the action to prevent it would impact corporate profits .
Conservative ideology generally is incapable of handling problems like this .
The philosophy of minimal government and just-in-time responses through privatized action is doomed to fail when the challenge requires redundancy , massive public investments and temporary inconvenience to private sector profiteering .
Paying for a pandemic response office , universal healthcare , a larger number of available hospital beds and such would be inconvenient for some executives and their tax burdens , but it ’ s invaluable not only for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when systems are stressed .
The same analogy can be made but on a much bigger and more consequential scale for climate change : adopting a Green New Deal may be expensive and inconvenient for some yacht owners today , but it will save millions of lives and trillions of dollars in disaster costs tomorrow .
Republicans and their conservative media allies have become so used to the “ sweep it under rug and say whatever you have to ” approach to problems that they ’ ve forgotten how to do anything else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cruel dismissal of the needs of the young , the stranger and the unfortunate : it ’ s also just an entire culture of refusing to see problems that run contrary to their ideological framework .
Every political problem can be solved by simply broadcasting a comfortable alternative reality for enough of their base .
This in turn prevents competent people from acting with foresight that might inconvenience them , with the help of gerrymandering , voter suppression , and anti-democratic Senate and electoral college apprortionments .
Donald Trump ’ s own personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blunt ignorance are just an extra dollop of dangerously cruel incompetence on the base of an ideology that has not been fit to deal with inconvenient problems like this for decades–whether it be climate change , the costs of education , healthcare and housing , or even other epidemics like the AIDS outbreak in the Reagan era .
Of course , a virus doesn ’ t care what presidents say , what University of Chicago economists write , or Fox News talking heads broadcast .
A virus does what it does .
Exponential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality intrudes no matter what alternative realities are created , and no matter what actions are taken to try to sweep it under the rug so the champagne can still flow in Wall Street after-parties .
A pandemic like this can kill the rich and the poor alike .
Even for the well-heeled , running a government like a business only works until it doesn ’ t .
And when it doesn ’ t , the consequences are beyond disastrous not just for the economy , but for life itself .

One of the most tired cliches in conservative politics is that we should run government like a business. Donald Trump’s disastrous response to the coronavirus pandemic is a perfect demonstration of how pernicious that philosophy can be, especially in times of crisis.
Much has already been said about how Donald Trump’s personality flaws and questionable policy obsessions have hampered America’s response to the growing pandemic. His narcissism leaves him unable to consider anything but his own political fortunes; his racism makes him treat an international medical problem like a clash-of-civilizations and border control problem; his incuriosity makes him unable to digest new information and respond with flexibility, must less act foresight to head off problems. Whole books could be—and likely will be—written about how the convergent moral failings of the president and his favorite conservative infotainment networks have contributed to a ruinously incompetent response to the burgeoning pandemic crisis.
Even in more competent and empathetic hands, the Trump (and more broadly, the conservative) approach to governing philosophy would still run counter to the demands of the moment, at a time of crisis requiring foresight and intervention by public sector.
At every step of the way, Trump and the conservative media have treated the coronavirus as a PR problem, a political problem, and a business problem. They have tried to downplay the severity of the disease, tell people to continue life like everything is normal, continue flying and going on cruise lines, and boost the markets however possible. Friday’s bizarre press conference was little more than an infomercial for some of the top health-related businesses in the Dow Jones average, with a parade of CEOs talking about their commitment to doing vague somethings about the pandemic right before the closing bell. It worked, at least for now: the Dow surged as a result of the upbeat corporate presentation. For weeks now the administration has slow-played testing under the theory that lower reported numbers would somehow look better and magically change the actual reality on the ground until the problem went away.
Like so much of modern American business culture, the ethic here is short-sighted and self-serving at best, and cruel, callous, and malevolent at worst. Today’s fast-moving capital markets are explicitly designed to be reactive rather than proactive, and every incentive built into them is to push for growth at all costs. Problems are meant to be pushed to the side and out of sight so the good times can keep rolling at the top; inconvenient costs are externalized and socialized on the backs of workers, the impoverished, and the environment. In the best of times, this dynamic creates massive inequalities and injustices that the market doesn’t notice, because the victims most affected are insignificant to—and go unnoticed by—the invisible hand. In the worst of times, however, it utterly hobbles a society’s ability to respond to crises that require active management before they can be directly felt in the marketplace.
The coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis are similar here: by the time the capital markets notice there is enough of a problem here to affect their bottom lines, it will be far too late to actually solve the problem. It’s true of any problem with an exponential curve whose solution requires acting well before the curve turns irrevocably steep, but where the action to prevent it would impact corporate profits.
Conservative ideology generally is incapable of handling problems like this. The philosophy of minimal government and just-in-time responses through privatized action is doomed to fail when the challenge requires redundancy, massive public investments, and temporary inconvenience to private sector profiteering. Paying for a pandemic response office, universal healthcare, a larger number of available hospital beds, and such would be inconvenient for some executives and their tax burdens, but it’s invaluable for social justice—and to keep people alive when systems are stressed. The same analogy can be made, but on a much bigger and more consequential scale, for climate change: adopting a Green New Deal may be expensive and inconvenient for some yacht owners today, but it will save millions of lives and trillions of dollars in disaster costs tomorrow.
Republicans and their conservative media allies have become so used to the “sweep-it-under-rug-and-say-whatever-you-have-to” approach to problems that they’ve forgotten how to do anything else. It’s not just a cruel dismissal of the needs of the young, the stranger, and the unfortunate: it’s also an entire culture of refusing to see problems that run contrary to their ideological framework. Every political problem can be solved by providing their base a comfortable alternative reality.
Donald Trump’s own personal brand of narcissism, pathological lying, and blunt ignorance is just an extra dollop of dangerously cruel incompetence. Outside of Trump, the conservative movement’s reaction to coronavirus reveals an ideology that has not been fit to deal with inconvenient problems for decades—whether it be climate change, the costs of education, healthcare and housing, or even other epidemics like the AIDS outbreak in the Reagan era.
Of course, a virus doesn’t care what presidents say, what University of Chicago economists write, or Fox News talking heads broadcast. A virus does what it does. Exponential curves are what they are. Sometimes, reality intrudes no matter what alternative realities are created, and no matter what actions are taken to try to sweep it under the rug so the champagne can still flow at Wall Street after-parties. A pandemic like this can kill the rich and the poor alike.
Even for the well-heeled, running a government like a business only works until it doesn’t. And when it doesn’t, the consequences are beyond disastrous not just for the economy, but for life itself.


washingtonmonthly--2020-03-15--Please. Stay. Home. Like Your Life Depends On It.

The writers here at the Washington Monthly do our best to bring interesting and insightful analysis of current events that you can use to seem smarter at dinner parties or ( for a few of you , hopefully ) to make a convincing case in the halls of power .
But we also aim to provide a public service , whether it be in our long-form journalism or college ranking guides .
To the best of my ability , I tend to do more of the former than the latter .
This morning , though , I ’ m going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a much more important basic public service announcement : Stay home like your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on it .
Because they do .
Right-wing propaganda is inundating the country with messages designed to boost big business ’ bottom line : keep living your life as normal , keep shopping , keep flying , keep congregating in public spaces .
Don ’ t do anything that would impact Wall Street , don ’ t hurt business interests .
It ’ s better to put grandma at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , don ’ t hurt Trump ’ s re-election chances by softening the economy .
The latest “ see no evil , speak no evil ” propaganda about a freaking pandemic that most threatens their own voters and viewers is the cherry on top of the public health menace that is the conservative movement .
But reality doesn ’ t care about propaganda .
Contagion does what it does , no matter what Sean Hannity says about it .
As I write this , corona virus is spreading across the country at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration refused to take even the most basic preventive measures , our infection curve parallels that of Italy , one of the countries hardest hit .
In its response to the crisis , Senegal looks like one of the most competent countries on the planet .
The United States looks like a formerly developed country .
Trump is bragging about the country he is failing like a decrepit , unwashed 40-year-old alcoholic still ranting his glory days of high school football , telling anyone who will listen how he ’ s still the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he drunkenly slips off his barstool .
Meanwhile , New York City officials are admitting that the virus has become endemic throughout the city as residents continue to pack the bars and nightclubs like something out of an Edgar Allen Poe or Stephen King story .
We don ’ t know how bad the problem is because almost no one is being tested , and we ’ re taking laughably few precautions against exponential spread of the disease .
The United States doesn ’ t have enough hospital beds or ventilators to cope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what it sounds like : many Americans will very likely soon be gasping out their last breaths without hospital treatment or basic medical care , because our healthcare system will be completely overwhelmed and we won ’ t have the capacity to treat the sick .
People think everything will continue as normal…until it doesn ’ t .
Americans in particular tend to believe that we are exceptional and immune .
We are so poorly traveled outside our own country that we don ’ t understand just how far behind the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of basic infrastructure from transportation to broadband to public health .
This is the best country in the world to live in if you are very rich , but not so much for anyone else .
But most of us don ’ t know that , so we think nothing truly catastrophic can happen to us .
It is about to .
Our infection curve is much closer to that of Italy or Iran , than to countries like Singapore or South Korea that are more effectively containing the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind Italy .
And what is happening in Italy ?
Doctors are being forced to make battlefield-style triage decisions about how gets care and who does not , essentially leaving the medically compromised , the old and the frail to die untreated .
Since the federal government under Trump is failing to do even the bare minimum to head off this crisis , the single most effective thing the public can do is maintain social distance .
And the best way to do that isn ’ t just by standing a few feet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing to do is to stay home for as long as you can .
Of course , not everyone can do so .
And that ’ s part of the point .
The American economy and political system is hollowed out by right-wing ideology that most of our people can not afford to stay home from work for even a single pay period .
We have no paid child care .
We have no sick leave .
People struggle to get by working side hustles and gig economy jobs , with a social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holes that few can survive even a minor disruption to their incomes–and every minor event in life causes a significant disruption .
Conservative ideology isn ’ t just destroying the psychological well-being and economic future of the vast majority of the population just to fatten the wallet of yacht owners : it ’ s also a public health crisis .
But if you can afford to stay home , please stay home .
If you can work from home , do it .
If you can make your own food at home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to your friends by phone or video chat instead of in person , do it .
If you can exercise at home instead of the gym , do it .
The only way to prevent the number of sick from overwhelming the number of beds and ventilators is to slow down the rate of infection .
And by far the best way to slow the rate of infection is to avoid coming into contact with other people , more and more of whom will almost certainly be infected .
It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s about stopping enough people getting sick fast enough that we can keep enough hospital beds open for all the people who do get sick .
It ’ s called flattening the curve , and it ’ s the most important thing any of us can do right now .
It ’ s a matter of life and death .
Right now , right here in the United States of America .
We are not immune .
You are not immune .
And yes , that means you .

The writers here at the Washington Monthly do our best to bring you interesting and insightful analysis of current events. At the least, we hope you can use our content to seem smarter at dinner parties or (for a few of you, hopefully) to make a convincing case in the halls of power. But we also aim to provide a public service, whether it be in our long-form journalism or our annual college guide and rankings. To the best of my ability, I tend to do more of the former than the latter.
This morning, though, I’m going to skip the pithy analysis in favor of a much more important basic public service announcement:
Please. Stay. Home.
Stay home like your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on it. Because they do.
Right-wing propaganda is inundating the country with messages designed to boost big business’s bottom line: Keep living your life as normal, keep shopping, keep flying, keep congregating in public spaces. Don’t do anything that would impact Wall Street, don’t hurt business interests. It’s better to put grandma at risk than corporate profits. And, of course, don’t hurt Trump’s re-election chances by softening the economy. The latest “see no evil, speak no evil” propaganda about a freaking pandemic that most threatens their own voters and viewers is the cherry on top of the public health menace that is the conservative movement.
But reality doesn’t care about propaganda. Contagion does what it does, no matter what Sean Hannity says about it. As I write this, corona virus is spreading across the country at an alarming rate. Because the Trump administration refused to take even the most basic preventive measures, our infection curve parallels that of Italy, one of the countries hardest hit. In its response to the crisis, Senegal looks like one of the most competent countries on the planet. The United States looks like a formerly developed country. Trump is bragging about the country he is failing like a decrepit, unwashed 40-year-old alcoholic still ranting about his high school football glory days, telling anyone who will listen how he’s still the greatest that ever was, even as he drunkenly slips off his barstool.
Meanwhile, New York City officials are admitting that the virus has become endemic throughout the city as residents continue to pack the bars and nightclubs like something out of an Edgar Allen Poe or Stephen King story. We don’t know how bad the problem is because almost no one is being tested, and we’re taking laughably few precautions against exponential spread of the disease.
The United States doesn’t have enough hospital beds or ventilators to cope with the coming crisis. That means exactly what it sounds like: many Americans will very likely soon be gasping out their last breaths without hospital treatment or basic medical care, because our healthcare system will be completely overwhelmed and we won’t have the capacity to treat the sick.
People think everything will continue as normal … until it doesn’t. Americans in particular tend to believe that we are exceptional and immune. We are so poorly traveled outside our own country that we don’t understand just how far behind the rest of the developed world we have fallen in terms of basic infrastructure from transportation to broadband to public health. This is the best country in the world to live in if you are very rich, but not so much for anyone else. Most of us, however, don’t know that, so we think nothing truly catastrophic can happen to us.
It is about to. Our infection curve is much closer to that of Italy or Iran, than to countries like Singapore or South Korea that are more effectively containing the virus. We are only one or two weeks behind Italy. And what is happening in Italy? Doctors are being forced to make battlefield-style triage decisions about who gets care and who does not, essentially leaving the medically compromised, the old and the frail to die untreated.
Since the federal government under Trump is failing to do even the bare minimum to head off this crisis, the single most effective thing the public can do is maintain social distance. And the best way to do that isn’t just by standing a few feet farther away from people. The best thing to do is to stay home for as long as you can.
Of course, not everyone can do so. And that’s part of the point. The American economy and political system is hollowed out by right-wing ideology that most of our people cannot afford to stay home from work for even a single pay period. We have no paid child care. We have no sick leave. People struggle to get by working side hustles and gig economy jobs, with a social safety net so tattered and full of holes that few can survive even a minor disruption to their incomes—and every minor event in life causes a significant disruption. Conservative ideology isn’t just destroying the psychological well-being and economic future of the vast majority of the population just to fatten the wallet of yacht owners: it’s also a public health crisis.
But if you can afford to stay home, please stay home. If you can work from home, do it. If you can make your own food at home, do it. If you can talk to your friends by phone or video chat instead of in person, do it. If you can exercise at home instead of the gym, do it.
The only way to prevent the number of sick from overwhelming the number of beds and ventilators is to slow down the rate of infection. And by far the best way to slow the rate of infection is to avoid coming into contact with other people, more and more of whom will almost certainly be infected. It’s not about stopping everyone from getting sick: it’s about stopping enough people getting sick fast enough that we can keep enough hospital beds open for all the people who do get sick. It’s called flattening the curve, and it’s the most important thing any of us can do right now.
It’s a matter of life and death. Right now, right here in the United States of America. We are not immune. You are not immune. And yes, that means you.
Stay home. Please.


washingtonmonthly--2020-03-16--Trump Thinks Fear Is Good—Except When It Comes to Coronavirus

In the recent movie Bombshell , a Fox News producer played by Kate McKinnon tells a younger colleague how the network decides what to cover .
“ The world is a bad place , ” she quips .
“ Ask yourself , what would scare my grandmother or piss off my grandfather ?
And that ’ s a Fox story.
” That calculus has also been the engine of Republican politics in the age of Donald Trump , who has raised fear mongering to unprecedented heights .
The country was under siege from immigration , terrorism , and crime , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it safe—and great—again .
As Democrats correctly noted , Trump has been exaggerating dangers to stoke voters ’ prejudices and anxieties .
But coronavirus has scrambled politics in America , just as it has upended everything else .
Until he declared a national emergency on Friday , Trump and his GOP media defenders were downplayingthe crisis.And Democrats became the party of fear , warning that Americans should be afraid—very afraid—and that the GOP was in a state of denial .
In a Quinnipiac University poll released last week , roughly 60 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned that the coronavirus would disrupt their lives .
Two-thirds of Democrats , meanwhile , said they were somewhat or very concerned about disruption from the virus .
Most remarkably , Democrats were twice as likely as Republicans to say they were afraid that they or someone they knew could catch Covid-19 .
In large part , that ’ s because of the tone set by Trump .
Last month , he said that the virus “ dies with the hotter weather ” and that it “ will go away in April.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus cases stood at 15 and would soon be “ close to zero.
” Fox News host Sean Hannity quickly echoed the same sentiment , and continually hinted on his broadcast that the entire crisis might be a hoax.Rush Limbaugh likened coronavirus to a common cold .
These claims also earned a sharp rebuke from a handful of conservative media figures , including Fox ’ s Tucker Carlson .
“ People you trust , people you probably voted for , have spent weeks minimizing what is clearly a very serious problem , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a clear reference to Trump .
“ People you know will get sick .
Some may die .
This is real.
” Carlson was calling Republicans back to their customary sweet spot , as the party of fear .
According to numerous research studies , Americans who perceive more danger in the world are more likely to vote Republican , while people who are more optimistic and hopeful typically pull the lever for Democrats .
That was never more obvious than in 2016 , when Trump rooted his campaign firmly in fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump supporters feared being a victim of terrorism , as opposed to half of all Americans .
And 83 percent of people supporting Trump agreed that the American way of life needed to be protected from “ foreign influence , ” compared to 55 percent overall .
Never mind that foreign influence—in the form of Russian interference—helped Trump win the election .
The larger moral was clear : to motivate voters , as the Fox News producer in Bombshell noted , Republicans and the conservative movement should harp on things that will scare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of those things—or , at least , it should be .
The people most at risk during this crisis are the elderly , of course , who make up a big swath of the Fox News viewership .
The viral infection is tailor-made for both Fox and the GOP , if they can wean themselves from their lockstep loyalty to Donald Trump .
Last week , Fox announced that most of its employees would work from home to prevent the spread of coronavirus .
It also removed Fox Business anchor Trish Regan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crisis as “ another attempt to impeach the president.
” But the president himself remains casual about coronavirus , as his behavior at Friday ’ s press conference madeevident .
Even while declaring a national emergency , Trump shook hands—something health experts have strenuously warned against—with all but one of the CEOs he invited to the White House .
And despite having stood next to a Brazilian press aide who was diagnosed with coronavirus , Trump said he would not self-quarantine because has has “ no symptoms whatsoever.
” Of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to others .
In the face of Trump ’ s ignorance and nonchalant attitude , Democrats need to keep emphasizing the perils of the virus .
Ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed that “ the only thing we have to fear is fear itself , ” we ’ ve been reluctant to engage fear as a political tool .
Simply put , we ’ re afraid to make people afraid .
But sometimes , you have to do precisely that to move them in the proper direction .
No matter our partisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus .
Although most Americans who contract the virus will recover , they also threaten to infect those in greatest danger : old people and those with pre-existing health conditions .
And if a huge number of people contract coronavirus in a very short span of time , they could overrun our hospitals and other medical facilities and compromise the care of those who need it most .
Lives are truly at stake : if the virus itself doesn ’ t kill people , an inadequate response to it might .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now is complacency , not fear .
And we need leaders—in both parties-—who aren ’ t afraid to say that .

In the recent movie Bombshell, a Fox News producer played by Kate McKinnon tells a younger colleague how the network decides what to cover. “The world is a bad place,” she quips. “Ask yourself, what would scare my grandmother or piss off my grandfather? And that’s a Fox story.”
That calculus has also been the engine of Republican politics in the age of Donald Trump, who has raised fear-mongering to unprecedented heights. The country was under siege from immigration, terrorism, and crime, Trump asserted. Only he could make it safe—and great—again. As Democrats correctly noted, Trump has been exaggerating dangers to stoke voters’ prejudices and anxieties.
But coronavirus has scrambled politics in America, just as it has upended everything else. Until he declared a national emergency on Friday, Trump and his GOP media defenders were downplaying the crisis. And Democrats became the party of fear, warning that Americans should be afraid—very afraid—and that the GOP was in a state of denial.
In a Quinnipiac University poll released last week, roughly 60 percent of surveyed Republicans said they were not especially concerned that the coronavirus would disrupt their lives. Two-thirds of Democrats, meanwhile, said they were somewhat or very concerned about disruption from the virus. Most remarkably, Democrats were twice as likely as Republicans to say they were afraid that they or someone they knew could catch COVID-19.
In large part, that’s because of the tone set by Trump. Last month, he said that the virus “dies with the hotter weather” and that it “will go away in April.” He also said that the total number of coronavirus cases stood at 15 and would soon be “close to zero.” Fox News host Sean Hannity quickly echoed the same sentiment and continually hinted on his broadcast that the entire crisis might be a hoax. Rush Limbaugh likened coronavirus to a common cold.
These claims also earned a sharp rebuke from a handful of conservative media figures, including Fox’s Tucker Carlson. “People you trust, people you probably voted for, have spent weeks minimizing what is clearly a very serious problem,” Carlson told viewers last week, in a clear reference to Trump. “People you know will get sick. Some may die. This is real.”
Carlson was calling Republicans back to their customary sweet spot, as the party of fear. According to numerous research studies, Americans who perceive more danger in the world are more likely to vote Republican, while people who are more optimistic and hopeful typically pull the lever for Democrats.
That was never more obvious than in 2016, when Trump rooted his campaign firmly in fear. And it worked. Two-thirds of Trump supporters feared being a victim of terrorism, as opposed to half of all Americans. And 83 percent of people supporting Trump agreed that the American way of life needed to be protected from “foreign influence,” compared to 55 percent overall.
Never mind that foreign influence—in the form of Russian interference—helped Trump win the election. The larger moral was clear: To motivate voters, as the Fox News producer in Bombshell noted, Republicans and the conservative movement should harp on things that will scare your grandmother.
Well, coronavirus is one of those things—or, at least, it should be. The people most at risk during this crisis are the elderly, of course, who make up a big swath of the Fox News viewership. The viral infection is tailor-made for both Fox and the GOP if they can wean themselves from their lockstep loyalty to Donald Trump.
Last week, Fox announced that most of its employees would work from home to prevent the spread of coronavirus. It also removed Fox Business anchor Trish Regan from her prime-time slot after she dismissed the crisis as “another attempt to impeach the president.”
But the president himself remains casual about coronavirus, as his behavior at Friday’s press conference madeevident. Even while declaring a national emergency, Trump shook hands—something health experts have strenuously warned against—with all but one of the CEOs he invited to the White House. And despite having stood next to a Brazilian press aide who was diagnosed with coronavirus, Trump said he would not self-quarantine because has has “no symptoms whatsoever.” Of course, asymptomatic carriers of the virus can spread it to others.
In the face of Trump’s ignorance and nonchalant attitude, Democrats need to keep emphasizing the perils of the virus. Ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” we’ve been reluctant to engage fear as a political tool. Simply put, we’re afraid to make people afraid.
But sometimes, you have to do precisely that to move them in the proper direction. No matter our partisan affiliations, we should all be afraid of the coronavirus. Although most Americans who contract the virus will recover, they also threaten to infect those in greatest danger: old people and those with pre-existing health conditions. And if a huge number of people contract coronavirus in a very short span of time, they could overrun our hospitals and other medical facilities and compromise the care of those who need it most. Lives are truly at stake: if the virus itself doesn’t kill people, an inadequate response to it might.
The only thing we have to fear right now is complacency, not fear. And we need leaders—in both parties—who aren’t afraid to say that.


washingtonmonthly--2020-03-16--Republican America is Not Prepared for the CoronaVirus Crisis

It would have been unthinkable in a previous era , a belief-defying oddity out of a dystopian novel : the public response to a global health crisis epidemic has become partisanized .
The liberal half of the country is taking it more seriously ; the conservative half is not .
And the likely consequence is that thousands of people will die needlessly for purely political reasons , led astray by the pied pipers of conservative infotainment and cynical politicians more interested in managing the business cycle than saving lives .
A majority of registered voters , 53 % , say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they or someone in their family might catch the coronavirus , but that is sharply divided by party .
About seven in 10 Democrats are that worried ( 68 % ) compared with 40 % among Republicans .
Six in 10 overall ( 60 % ) say the worst is yet to come from the coronavirus outbreak .
And just 6 % think the worst is behind us .
Most say their daily lives have changed at least somewhat as a result of the virus ( 71 % total : 45 % in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major way ) , while about eight in 10 see changes in the future .
Forty-one percent see at least major changes in their day-to-day lives in the future and another 39 % say there will be at least small changes in the future .
Democrats are also more likely to say they think there are future major changes coming to their day-to-day lives because of the virus , 56 % say so vs. 26 % among Republicans .
62 % of Republicans think the news about coronavirus is greatly exaggerated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s likely not remotely alarmist enough because news agencies are trying not to start a panic .
It ’ s hard to blame them , contextually .
Donald Trump is telling his true believers that America has the pandemic under control and spends most of his time obsessed with calming the stock market and rattling off the names of CEOs .
GOP celebrity congressman Devin Nunes is telling people to go out to restaurants and bars .
Sheriff Clarke–once strongly considered for a cabinet appointment by the president–is speculating that COVID-19 is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the government reopen all the schools .
The dark irony of this , of course , is that American conservatives are , statistically speaking , the most at-risk population in America .
Even if they lacked any moral compass beyond their own political survival , one might imagine that Republican politicians and conservative media figures would want to tell their voters and audiences the truth just to make sure they survive to vote in November and buy into reverse mortgage scams advertised on Fox News .
But the Pavlovian urge to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ libs and defend the economic interests of corporate America and Trump ’ s re-election are combining with the predilection for conspiracy-minded thinking on the right .
Conservatives have also bought into the notion that America really is the greatest country on earth , that nothing bad will ever happen to them , and that other countries are only suffering now because of their inferior morals , work ethic and lack of divine protection .
They can not help but deride a proactive to the coronavirus , and insist on their libertarian God-given right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whenever they want .
This is going to get a lot of people killed .
Just as climate change will destroy your way of life whether you believe in it or not , coronavirus will infect you and quite possibly kill you whether you believe it ’ s a Soros plot to hurt Cracker Barrel ’ s bottom line or not .
We ’ re at the point in the exponential curve of this virus where a large number of untested people are very likely carrying and shedding virus all over the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
America will likely go from putting travel bans on countries like Italy to becoming a national Wuhan-level petri dish without enough hospital beds in the space of less than a week .
When it does , Republican America is going to face a reckoning as reality clashes with doctrine .
Unfortunately , the history of cults and cult thinking does not suggest that they will see the light anytime soon .
The Fox News mindset is best understood less in terms of partisanship than cult , and history suggests that cult members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with harsh cognitive dissonance .
Not only is this situation going to get a lot worse before it gets better in purely human terms of life and death , it ’ s going to get a lot worse in political and partisan terms , too .

It would have been unthinkable in a previous era, a belief-defying oddity out of a dystopian novel: the public response to a global health crisis epidemic has become partisanized. The liberal half of the country is taking it more seriously; the conservative half is not. And the likely consequence is that thousands of people will die needlessly for purely political reasons, led astray by the pied pipers of conservative infotainment and cynical politicians more interested in managing the business cycle than saving lives.
The numbers are staggering:
A majority of registered voters, 53%, say they are very or somewhat worried that they or someone in their family might catch the coronavirus, but that is sharply divided by party. About seven in 10 Democrats are that worried (68%) compared with 40% among Republicans. Six in 10 overall (60%) say the worst is yet to come from the coronavirus outbreak. And just 6% think the worst is behind us. Most say their daily lives have changed at least somewhat as a result of the virus (71% total: 45% in a small way, 26% in a major way), while about eight in 10 see changes in the future. Forty-one percent see at least major changes in their day-to-day lives in the future and another 39% say there will be at least small changes in the future. Democrats are also more likely to say they think there are future major changes coming to their day-to-day lives because of the virus, 56% say so vs. 26% among Republicans.
Sixty two percent of Republicans think the news about coronavirus is greatly exaggerated, when the reality is that it’s likely not remotely alarmist enough because news agencies are trying not to start a panic.
It’s hard to blame them, contextually. Donald Trump is telling his true believers that America has the pandemic under control and spends most of his time obsessed with calming the stock market and rattling off the names of CEOs. GOP celebrity congressman Devin Nunes is telling people to go out to restaurants and bars. Sheriff Clarke—once strongly considered for a cabinet appointment by the president—is speculating that COVID-19 is a Soros plot and telling people to demand that the government reopen all the schools.
The dark irony of this, of course, is that American conservatives are, statistically speaking, the most at-risk population in America. Even if they lacked any moral compass beyond their own political survival, one might imagine that Republican politicians and conservative media figures would want to tell their voters and audiences the truth just to make sure they survive to vote in November and buy into reverse mortgage scams advertised on Fox News. But the Pavlovian urge to win the short-term news cycle, own the libs and defend the economic interests of corporate America and Trump’s re-election are combining with the predilection for conspiracy-minded thinking on the right. Conservatives have also bought into the notion that America really is the greatest country on earth, that nothing bad will ever happen to them, and that other countries are only suffering now because of their inferior morals, work ethic and lack of divine protection. They cannot help but deride a proactive response to the coronavirus, and insist on their libertarian God-given right to eat at a crowded Red Robin whenever they want.
This is going to get a lot of people killed. Just as climate change will destroy your way of life whether you believe in it or not, coronavirus will infect you and quite possibly kill you whether you believe it’s a Soros plot to hurt Cracker Barrel’s bottom line or not.
We’re at the point in the exponential curve of this virus where a large number of untested people are very likely carrying and shedding the virus all over the country asymptomatically. That will change very soon. America will likely go from putting travel bans on countries like Italy to becoming a national Wuhan-level petri dish without enough hospital beds in the space of less than a week.
When it does, Republican America is going to face a reckoning as reality clashes with doctrine. Unfortunately, the history of cults and cult thinking does not suggest that they will see the light anytime soon. The Fox News mindset is best understood less in terms of partisanship than cult, and history suggests that cult members double down on their beliefs when faced with harsh cognitive dissonance.
Not only is this situation going to get a lot worse before it gets better in purely human terms. It’s going to get a lot worse in political and partisan terms, too.


washingtonmonthly--2020-03-16--Some Tips on Eating During a Pandemic

Some Tips on Eating During a Pandemic

The hoarding in response to the spread of coronavirus started with hand sanitizer and , for some reason , toilet paper .
But lately , people have been hoarding food .
That is why this article in the New York Times is important .
The aisles and aisles of empty store shelves give the appearance that the United States , improbably and alarmingly , is running out of food .
But the nation ’ s biggest retailers , dairy farmers and meat producers say that isn ’ t so .
The food supply chain , they say , remains intact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unprecedented stockpiling brought on by the coronavirus pandemic .
A bit of common sense is in order .
People will not be eating more food , it simply has to be re-routed .
Some food supply is being diverted to grocery stores from the restaurants , school cafeterias and college campuses that have closed .
“ The food is there .
It ’ s just going into different spots , ” said David McInerney , the chief executive of FreshDirect .
It is also important to have some facts about food and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s no indication , health officials say , that the coronavirus can be transmitted on food .
Wen notes that the virus does not appear to be orally transmitted .
Rather , it is a respiratory illness spread through droplets — from a person ’ s sneeze , for example — that are then transmitted through the nostrils or eyes of someone else .
The reason several governors have shut down restaurants is not because of a concern about people catching the virus from the food .
Instead , it is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contact with .
That is why they are shutting down restaurants , but allowing them to maintain their take-out and delivery services .
To the extent that having prepared meals delivered is financially feasible , experts suggest that it is a good option for avoiding contact with too many people .
But there are still some precautions that are helpful to take , as Amanda Mull reports .
Morse said the risk can be reduced for both parties if recipients ask that food be left outside the door—or , ideally , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees .
Customers can also tip electronically or place cash outside before the delivery arrives… The places people order from make a difference too .
A local restaurant is a better choice than a start-up that sends gig workers with no health-care benefits into crowded big-box grocery stores to fight over dried beans on your behalf .
The restaurant delivery person interacts with fewer people , lessening his or her individual risk , and the money you pay for the food goes toward keeping a restaurant ’ s staff employed through a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mull shares this advice .
Even for those practicing social distancing during this pandemic , we all have to eat .
So keep in mind that hoarding isn ’ t necessary and that the virus is not transmitted via well-prepared food—whether you make it at home or have it delivered .

The hoarding in response to the spread of coronavirus started with hand sanitizer and, for some reason, toilet paper. But lately, people have been hoarding food. That is why this article in the New York Times is important.
The aisles and aisles of empty store shelves give the appearance that the United States, improbably and alarmingly, is running out of food. But the nation’s biggest retailers, dairy farmers and meat producers say that isn’t so. The food supply chain, they say, remains intact and has been ramping up to meet the unprecedented stockpiling brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
A bit of common sense is in order. People will not be eating more food, it simply has to be re-routed.
Some food supply is being diverted to grocery stores from the restaurants, school cafeterias and college campuses that have closed. “The food is there. It’s just going into different spots,” said David McInerney, the chief executive of FreshDirect.
It is also important to have some facts about food and how the virus is transmitted.
There’s no indication, health officials say, that the coronavirus can be transmitted on food. Wen notes that the virus does not appear to be orally transmitted. Rather, it is a respiratory illness spread through droplets — from a person’s sneeze, for example — that are then transmitted through the nostrils or eyes of someone else.
The reason several governors have shut down restaurants is not because of a concern about people catching the virus from the food. Instead, it is to limit the number of people you come in contact with. That is why they are shutting down restaurants, but allowing them to maintain their take-out and delivery services.
To the extent that having prepared meals delivered is financially feasible, experts suggest that it is a good option for avoiding contact with too many people. But there are still some precautions that are helpful to take, as Amanda Mull reports.
Morse said the risk can be reduced for both parties if recipients ask that food be left outside the door—or, ideally, if restaurants mandate this practice to protect their employees. Customers can also tip electronically or place cash outside before the delivery arrives… The places people order from make a difference too. A local restaurant is a better choice than a start-up that sends gig workers with no health-care benefits into crowded big-box grocery stores to fight over dried beans on your behalf. The restaurant delivery person interacts with fewer people, lessening his or her individual risk, and the money you pay for the food goes toward keeping a restaurant’s staff employed through a crisis.
For trips to the grocery store, Mull shares this advice.
“Crowded stores would have a greater risk of infection, simply because of numbers of people and density,” Morse, the epidemiologist, explained. Shoppers can avoid some of this risk by dropping in at odd hours or patronizing less popular stores.
Even for those practicing social distancing during this pandemic, we all have to eat. So keep in mind that hoarding isn’t necessary and that the virus is not transmitted via well-prepared food—whether you make it at home or have it delivered.