The United States could be on the path toward a much-needed shutdown to get coronavirus cases under control, but it may not happen in time, if at all.
Winter brings colder temperatures and holiday celebrations that encourage social gatherings, creating a dangerous set of factors and a fatal end to the year.
With no unified federal action plan to curb rising cases across the nation, many Americans will die between now and January when President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Even then, COVID-19 safety protocols will still be unreliable.
Many states are already experiencing dramatic spikes in COVID-19 cases. According to The New York Times’ COVID-19 Tracker, Iowa has experienced a 164% increase of cases per day compared to the previous two weeks average.
Wyoming is dealing with similar rates, with an average of 705 cases per day, a 99% increase from two weeks before.
California cities have not been spared in rising caseloads. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management announced through Twitter on Nov. 12 that the city has seen cases increase by 250% since early October.
This concerning rise will only continue through winter as the country careens into the holiday season, with the Trump administration leaving the country vulnerable.
Deborah Birx, White House coordinator for the COVID-19 task force, reported the U.S. might be entering the most volatile period of rising cases since March, according to a Nov. 2 Washington Post article.
Despite the influx of cases, President Trump continues to claim that the rises are because of testing, but Birx’s report directly contradicts the president's opinion.
According to the report, testing rates across the country have remained stagnant, while positive test results have spiked.
The federal government’s lack of response and the exacerbating risks that winter poses for COVID-19 endangers Americans.
Cooler and drier winter air allows respiratory viruses to easily spread and poor weather conditions force gatherings inside. Lack of air circulation can concentrate viral airborne particles, according to Dr. Paul Offit, director of the vaccine education center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in a Nov. 10 USA Today article.
Some Americans may be experiencing “pandemic fatigue,” causing people to risk exposure by visiting friends or family during the holidays after not seeing them for an extended time period, according to Columbia University Medical Center Dr. Daniel Griffin in the same article.
There may never be aggressive federal action to control the transmission of COVID-19, but if measures were implemented, it would not be until President-elect Joe Biden takes office on January 20.
According to a Nov. 11 article from CNBC, Dr. Michael Osterholm, Biden’s newly appointed COVID-19 adviser, said a four to six-week nationwide lockdown would reduce rising cases to manageable levels. Unfortunately, Biden has not made any indication on if he would support such a lockdown.
The decision to enforce a nationwide lockdown would require collaboration from all state and local officials, according to a Nov. 14 ABC News report. A shutdown may also exacerbate the country’s ideological divide as the economy may suffer if a lockdown is implemented.
This again exemplifies that the U.S. government and its people choose a thriving economy over a healthy population. January may not be the light at the end of the tunnel for the COVID-19 pandemic. S
The widespread American deaths expected this winter from the coronavirus will go without a response from the federal government, and January’s transfer of power to the Biden administration may be too scared to rock the boat in order to save lives.
