Chinanews.com, June 18 Question: "The epidemic" chaos the United States: American-style "bulk" anti-epidemic, allowing more than 2 million people to "stroke"
Liu Zong Guo Xinwei
In early June, on the Burnside Bridge in Oregon, thousands of protesters fell on their hands behind their backs. In the silence of nearly nine minutes, they paid tribute to the dead African-American man Freud.
In June, on the Burnside Bridge in Oregon, thousands of protesters laid their hands behind their backs, paying tribute to the dead African-American man Freud. Source: social network video screenshot
This is a shocking scene of the American people's anti-racial discrimination protests.
But at the same time, for the United States, where more than 2 million people have contracted the new coronavirus, a large number of people gathered is also a serious scene facing the epidemic situation.
Over the past few months, the anti-epidemic work, which is of great concern to the health of the entire United States and deserves great attention, has been repeatedly squeezed out of the headlines at all levels. In a head-to-head confrontation with what President Trump called the "invisible enemy", America's "strongest brain"-the command work of the government's decision-makers, was a mess...
On June 14, local time, thousands of people gathered in the square outside the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Source: British "Guardian" video screenshot
"If I am infected, then I am infected"
In the past two weeks, a large number of Americans have stood side by side on the streets, or walked into crowded public squares, held high demonstration signs, and shouted slogans. On June 14 alone, thousands of people gathered in the square outside the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
It is hard to imagine that these scenes occurred in a country with more than 10,000 newly diagnosed cases of coronary artery pneumonia in a single day, and a cumulative diagnosis of more than 2.1 million cases. Although experts are worried, they repeatedly reminded the demonstrators to make close contact and shout slogans, and the police used tear gas to make people cry and cough, which may increase the spread of the virus. However, in the anger against racial discrimination, this seems to be left behind by Americans .
In fact, long before this, many people in the United States did not attach importance to social isolation measures. In March, a tourist enjoying a sun bath on a beach in Florida said, "If I am infected with the new coronavirus, then I will be infected", "I will not let it stop me from attending the party."
Why did the American people form this perception?
Nick Chatter, a professor of behavioral science at the Warwick Business School in the UK, believes that in the process of gradually closing down bars, restaurants, schools and other places, the Western government has delivered a "very mixed" message, and because only "gentle suggestions" Not paying enough attention.
"The (implicit advice) implicit message is that this matter is not that important." Chatter said that if it is really important, it will be expressed differently. For example, people would not say "suggest you to stop at a red light" but "you have to do it, it's illegal to not do it".
The analysis believes that the government's unwillingness to take strict blockade measures quickly after the outbreak may be one of the main reasons why the American people fail to realize the seriousness of the problem. Naturally, the people are not concerned about the implementation of the relevant measures.
"Bulk" anti-epidemic, one policy per state
What confuses the public is the various anti-epidemic measures of the US states.
On May 20, it was a "beautiful" Wednesday. Connecticut joined the gradual "restart". The bars and restaurants here were full for the first time during the epidemic. There was a two-meter gap between people and they lined up for meals in the store. .
On the same day, the streets of New York City were still sparsely populated, and most bars and restaurants were closed. Due to the failure to meet the 7 restart standards set by the state government, the city is still in a strict "home" state.
During the epidemic, from the timing of issuing a "home order", to the decision to restart the economy, to the method of managing large-scale demonstrations, all states in the United States can be described as "one state, one policy", which is difficult to unify. This has led to different ups and downs in the epidemic curve across the United States.
After all 50 states in the United States have restarted, at least 21 states in the United States have experienced a rebound in confirmed cases, of which 14 states have reached new highs.
Georgia, Texas, and Florida, the earliest restarts in the United States, have experienced new cases and increased hospitalization, which has become the "new hotspot" area of the epidemic. The number of cases in New Mexico and Florida increased by 40%. Since the end of the "Home Order", Arizona has increased from an average of about 400 cases per day to about 1,000 cases per day in recent days. In Utah and Arkansas, which have never established statewide "home orders", the number of cases has increased by 60%.
In New York State, the "hot spot" area of the previous epidemic, as one of the most cautious steps in the "restart" process in the United States, the number of new hospital admissions and deaths has ushered in the lowest since the outbreak.
"Although many states are implementing strict measures, their efforts may be dragged down by not doing enough elsewhere," Jeffrey Levi, a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, warned, "The extent to which we are protected, Depends on the weakest state."
"Each governor is making his own decisions," Levi said. "Some people made the right decisions, and some didn't."
Data map: The Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, New York, USA, temporarily built a temporary medical point to serve non-new coronary patients.
"Shake hands" and "swing pot"
What did the US federal government, which should organize the anti-epidemic measures of the states, do during this period?
"Testing is a matter for the state governments," Trump said at a press conference in April. The White House emphasized that the federal government is only the "last supplier." During the epidemic, Trump repeatedly declared that the fight against the epidemic was the state's own business.
When it was discovered that testing reagents, masks, protective clothing, and ventilators were extremely scarce, the governors of each state turned to the White House for help, but the White House's actions were stagnant. The private enterprises they called for were also unable to provide the necessary supplies. Various states and cities are therefore forced to participate in the "bid war", which makes them a victim of high profits.
When the New York State epidemic was the worst, it faced a gap of 30,000 ventilators. Only the federal government had the ability to purchase, but the government stood by; the medical masks in Somerset County, New Jersey and Miami-Dade County, Florida, and two medical treatments in Massachusetts Material orders, ventilator in Colorado, etc., were also requisitioned by the federal government, but did not give the material whereabouts.
The governor of Illinois spoke in anger and said that the federal government will either increase inspection deployments or “make way”.
At the federal level, the “best disease research institution” in the United States and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which should have played a leading role in the fight against epidemics, were elevated by the White House.
CDC experts gave warnings many times early in the epidemic, persuading the government to pay attention to imported cases, but the White House disagreed, and it was slow to announce a travel ban; by May, CDC had prepared a guide to guide the United States in stages The measures of resuming work and resuming production were blocked by the White House on the grounds that the content of the guide was "too rigid"...
"In my opinion, at least for certain periods of time during the anti-epidemic process, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a neglected bystander", James Dean, Dean of the School of Public Health, Emory University, USA Curran) said.
Similar to the fate of CDC, there is Fodge, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Since mid-to-late February, Foch has proposed social isolation measures, but has repeatedly been rejected. However, Trump said at the end of April, "The government has listened to the experts' suggestions, but the experts have made mistakes, and many people did not expect the epidemic to be so serious."
What caused the "American Epidemic Prevention" disease?
"It will disappear one day", "It's like a miracle." In February 2020, Trump once said so. According to the "Washington Post" statistics, in about 70 days from early January to mid-March, Trump tried to downplay the severity of the new crown epidemic at least 34 times.
CNN said Trump’s thinking is like "we can shape the world according to our own preferences."
When clinical trials showed that hydroxychloroquine did not have a positive effect on infected people, he continued to promote this "miracle drug"; he also proposed that people can inject disinfectants to treat the new crown, which was denied by doctors on the spot; Fuch called the new crown " "The most terrible nightmare", but he thinks the virus can simply disappear...
Experts believe that during an unstable period, the president should have been an authoritative source of information, but constantly releasing misleading information may confuse public health information. Just one day after Trump's "injection disinfectant" speech, the Maryland Emergency Hotline received more than 100 related consultation calls, and the Illinois Toxic Substance Control Center also received many consultation calls about misuse of disinfectant.
Now, due to the ineffectiveness in fighting the epidemic, the US economy is in trouble and has seriously affected Trump's election. Coupled with the spread of ethnic conflicts, Trump’s public opinion support has fallen behind Biden, who is nominated for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Therefore, in the face of the upcoming general election, Trump's focus has shifted from the fight against epidemic disease to the restart of the election campaign and the restoration of the economy. This approach will inevitably continue to affect the US strategy for epidemic resistance. In the future, public health in the United States may still have to "give way" to other issues. (Finish)