There’s no question the United States missed the opportunity to get ahead of the novel #coronavirus. But the window for making important decisions hasn’t closed. The choices we and our leaders make now will have an enormous impact. wapo.st/2R4BKho
Extreme physical distancing measures will make a big difference in the U.S., but we need a consistent nationwide approach. Until the case numbers start to go down across America—which could take 10 weeks or more—no one can continue business as usual or relax the shutdown.
The federal government needs to step up on testing: far more tests should be made available, and we should aggregate the results so we can quickly identify potential volunteers for clinical trials and know with confidence when it’s time to return to normal.
There’s been some progress on more efficient testing methods, such as the self-swab developed by the Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network. I hope this and other innovations in testing are scaled up across the country soon. bit.ly/2yodiRH
Work is going full speed on potential treatments, and vaccines. But people should know that it will take time to prove they are safe and effective and to start making them.
If everything goes well, there might be an effective vaccine in less than 18 months—the fastest a vaccine has ever been developed. That will depend on decisions we make today, including the federal government investing in building up manufacturing capacity.
All the work that rich countries are doing now to develop vaccines will save lives in developing countries too. Without a vaccine, those countries are at even greater risk than wealthy ones, because it’s even harder for them to do physical distancing and shutdowns.
In the meantime, frontline health care workers are making heroic efforts to test and treat patients across the United States and the world. Here in my hometown, Public Health Seattle & King County (@KCPubHealth) is doing incredible work that we should all be very proud of.
If we make the right decisions now—informed by science, data and the experience of medical professionals—we can save lives and get the country back to work. You can read more about my thoughts on #COVID19 on my blog. gatesnot.es/346lgek
