Different Takes: Coronavirus Dangers Require Putting Science Back Into Forefront Of U.S. Leadership; Congress Should Step Up With A Big Stimulus Package

Editorial writers focus on issues surrounding the spread of coronavirus.

The Seattle Times: In The Age Of Coronavirus, Our Nation Needs A Responsible Leader Who Trusts Scientists

As the numbers of local coronavirus cases and deaths grow inexorably, Seattle-area citizens are paying the awful price of President Donald Trump’s disdain for science. Our sprawling metropolitan area has become the U.S. epicenter of this new disease, which could have been better contained had his administration not turned its back on prudent prevention and control efforts. The departure of Admiral Timothy Ziemer last May and the dissolution of his global health security team at the National Security Council by John Bolton left the Trump administration rudderless in confronting global pandemics such as the one now staring us starkly in the face. “America First!” unfortunately does not help corral viruses that can cross national borders almost as easily as the wind. The appropriate response to such global threats is inherently international. (Michael Riordan, 3/5)

The Wall Street Journal: The Case For A Big Coronavirus Stimulus

Given the mounting economic risks posed by the spread of the novel coronavirus, Congress should act swiftly but thoughtfully to pass fiscal stimulus. This would be in addition to continuing to provide ample funding for medical research, testing, prevention and treatment. The stimulus’s total cost would be about $350 billion, but could be larger or smaller depending on how the economic situation unfolds. Congress should design it to be accelerated, big, comprehensive and dynamic. (Furman, 3/5)

The Washington Post: As Coronavirus Spreads, The Bill For Our Public Health Failures Is Due

In spring 2009, the H1N1 influenza virus surfaced in Mexico, swiftly evolving from “outbreak” to “pandemic” in just two months. As acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the time, I led our work to issue preliminary warnings and evidence-based recommendations to help Americans reduce their risk of infection — very similar to what we’re hearing about covid-19 today. (Richard E. Besser, 3/5)

The New York Times: ‘I Love The World But I Cannot Stay’

Generally, I don’t think about death during the day. My schedule is full and I focus on what is right before my eyes. It’s usually only when I go to funerals that I reflect upon deaths past, present and future; most of the time I think about life. Still, about once a month I wake in the night and know with absolute clarity that I will soon be gone. I have always felt my own finitude. My father had his first stroke at 45 and died at 54. My mother died of diabetes at 74. I am 72. I would like to attend my last grandchild’s high school graduation and meet at least one great-grandchild. However, with my family history, that is unlikely. Now, with the news filled with stories of the coronavirus, I am reminded of the many random diseases that can strike suddenly and lethally. (Mary Pipher, 3/6)

Boston Globe: Love In The Time Of Coronavirus

I’m a single guy, divorced, with grown kids. I’ve gotten past the initial fear of online dating — my pictures all have my ex-wife in them! I’ve also figured out my answers to big questions like “What do I say about myself?” “Do I want to try to be appealing to everybody — is Connecticut too far away for the right person? — or be more restrictive and respond only to people who seem like a good match?” I just haven’t solved the problem of finding “the one.” Sadly, online dating is not as efficient as online shopping. What looks good in the store, or online, doesn’t always fit. Now we are on the verge of a new worry in the dating world: how do we go about meeting new people, with the hope of making a connection, when social distancing is the new norm? I’m referring to the newest villain in the world of contagion: Covid-19, caused by a coronavirus. (Dan Simpson, 3/4)

The New York Times: Coronavirus School Closings: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

My research on the long history of epidemics has taught me that when it comes to outbreaks of contagious respiratory infections, closing schools can help prevent many thousands of illnesses and deaths. Schools are community gathering places where large numbers of people are in proximity to one another and respiratory infections can easily spread among young people and adults alike. Shutting them down can be a key part of slowing the spread of easily transmissible viruses so that hospitals are not overrun with sick people, and it can help to buy time to allow for the development of antiviral medications, medical treatments or a vaccine. (Howard Markel, 3/6)

The San Francisco Chronicle: All Viruses That Cross Species Must Be Probed, And China Can Help

Whether we reside in Asia, the U.S., Europe or elsewhere, we humans are part of a biological ecosystem constantly under attack from infectious and mysterious agents. Today, public enemy No. 1 is the coronavirus COVID-19, which has been linked to bats in Wuhan, China. In just a few months, it has spread to over 70 countries, killing over 3,100 people and sickening more than 92,000. (Wayne Getz, 3/4)

The New York Times: When Coronavirus Quarantine Is Class Warfare

It’s been a big week for what I refer to as “Hermit Tech.” Stock in technology companies that facilitate working from home have soared in a spiraling market otherwise anxious by an impending coronavirus pandemic. Netflix is preparing for the server strain of the bored but quarantined masses. Expensive Peloton stationary bikes and streaming workout services are seeing substantial spikes in interest. Tech guides are popping up suggesting everything from noise-canceling headphones, Wi-Fi signal boosters, and productivity hacks for families who’ll need to make close quarters work and life livable. (Charlie Warzel, 3/5)

The Detroit News: Lawmakers, Budget For Coronavirus

Now that the coronavirus has become a real threat to the U.S., Michigan has to be ready for an outbreak. To help prepare for the inevitable, the state should reserve some funds in the budget to deal with the virus, should it come here.House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, says those discussions haven’t happened yet during the ongoing budget negotiations. But they should — and quickly so that Michigan isn’t caught off guard. (3/5)

The New York Times: Life In Seattle, America’s Coronavirus Capital

There is a strange in-betweenness to life in the nation’s coronavirus capital. Classes continue on the University of Washington’s campus, some half-empty, others completely full. I have been teaching here 13 years, and faculty members have been getting detailed, palpably anxious instructions from administrators on how to teach online and on hand-washing and social distance, and reminders that no one on our 46,000-student campus has tested positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. For now. (Margaret O'Mara, 3/5)

Boston Globe: How The Greater Boston Biomedical Community Is Tackling The Coronavirus

SARS-CoV-2 — and Covid-19, the often-serious disease it can cause — has already spread to more than 80 countries. We are on the cusp of a global pandemic, and Boston has the unique biomedical environment to forge this crisis into solutions that benefit our community and the world. For physician-scientists, medical researchers, front-line clinicians, and epidemiologists in the Greater Boston area, this is not merely a call to duty. This is a historic opportunity to reimagine and revise the way we tackle future outbreaks. (Ronald B. Corley, George Q. Daley, Penny M. Heaton, Arlene H. Sharpe, and Bruce D. Walker, 3/5)

Miami Herald: Miami Cancels Ultra Festival: Not Enough Hand Sanitizer

Prudently deciding that there’s just not enough hand sanitizer in the world to protect the more than 150,000 concert-goers expected, the city of Miami and the Ultra Music Festival organizers have canceled this year’s edition. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez was proactive, realizing it was foolish, to say nothing of dangerous, to host an internationally famous event in the face of the threat of coronavirus. (3/5)

Boston Globe: Coronavirus And Maine Vote Make Case For Mass. Vaccine Law

If the reminder provided by the coronavirus isn’t reason enough for lawmakers to act, they should look to Maine, where a referendum to weaken that state’s strong new vaccination law went down in a landslide defeat Tuesday. It’s evidence that while anti-vaxxers might be loud, they’re not the majority. Indeed, if you went just by the people who showed up at legislative hearings or flooded the inboxes of lawmakers with angry e-mails, you’d think anti-vaccine passion was rampant. But the Maine referendum garnered the support of only 26 percent of voters. (3/5)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription