Thread by @jeremyfaust

Five members of Congress have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

There are 535 total members.

This means 5/535=0.9% of Congress in infected.

If they truly “represent” Americans, then there could be 3,056,000 cases in the United States now.

What does this all tell us?
Thread. 1/

That number may not be accurate. But it very well might be in the right order of magnitude.

Right now we know about over 100,000 cases here.

We also know that 86% of cases are “undocumented.” 2/

That means *most people* who have the virus have not been diagnosed.

Nearly 1 million cases or more in the US is *very* likely, right now. As we live and breathe.

How? It appears that over 50% of new cases occur in people who had no known exposure to anyone the virus 3/

But it’s more than that.

You can be contagious a day or two before developing symptoms.

Some people *never* have symptoms. That’s great for them.

The problem is that these symptom-free people *are* contagious.

So what does it all mean?
4/

This virus *is* more contagious than initially appreciated. We have rigorous data to support this.

So...what do we need to do?

5/

-More testing. Map this out.

-In areas known to have more than a few cases, shelter in place, especially for vulnerable people.

-in other areas, restrictions on entry. Mandatory self quarantine for anyone entering. Hawaii and Rhode Island and other places doing this.
6/

But the highest priority: keep me and my health care frontline workers safe.

We can’t keep you safe if we are not safe.

We need PPE and we need it now.

How real is this? 7/

It’s very, very effin’ real.

I’m happy to go to work in my ER—all of my collegues are—if we can keep ourselves (and therefore our families) safe.

I work at one of the major Harvard hospitals.

And even here, we must ration.
8/

This can not continue.

If it does, we will see terrible things.

The President needs to lead. States are doing a lot on their own but the office of President of the United States comes with great power and influence.

Use it to keep us all safer. 9/

Use the Defense Production Act to require businesses and industrial manufacturers to #GetMePPE!
10/

I am not someone to blame or point fingers.

It’s pointless to do so.

What we need to do is to work together.

Mr. President, if you do these things, I will place the Medal of Freedom *upon you*. 11/

If you see fit to make policy that saves the most lives, you can be a great president.

History is calling.

Please answer that call.

We will be able to do our jobs, if you do yours.

I know that can happen!

I hold on to hope!

It is not too late. /fin