As more and more cases of COVID-19 are diagnosed in the U.S., doctors are feeling the failure of their country’s slow response to the virus. Working on the frontlines of the coronavirus battle, healthcare workers are facing shortages of supplies, test kits, and medical equipment. These physicians are grappling with a horrible truth: the United States is not prepared to handle this pandemic.
Dr. Stephen Anderson works in south Seattle. His 35 years of experience in his state’s emergency rooms couldn’t prepare him for this new virus. “Most physicians have never seen this level of angst and anxiety in their careers,” he told the New York Times. “I am sort of a pariah in my family. I am dipping myself into the swamp every day.” Because of the U.S. government’s slow response, these doctors are put at risk daily. (1)
Inadequate Response To The Virus In The U.S.
COVID-19 was busy infecting Wuhan, China during December of 2019. In these early days–when the U.S. had a chance to put a plan of action in place to avoid an epidemic in America–their response was spotty. The White House banned foreigners from entering the U.S. from China, yet returning Americans were not closely monitored. In a now-infamous quote, President Trump called the Democrats’ response to the virus a “new hoax.” The threat was downplayed, and many Americans responded accordingly. While the term “social distancing” has now been etched into the minds of every U.S. citizen, most continued on as normal during the early days of the spread.
According to virologist Trevor Bedford, evidence shows that the virus began it’s U.S. spread as early as January 2020. Seattle was already in the holds of contagion by the time the CDC responded. Even then, it was clear that one key element was lacking: early, adequate, and widespread testing. What testing could have done was alert officials to prepare for the needed response as well as remove infected people from the public. Instead, no one seemed to know how many sick people there were at the beginning.
Because of this lack of understanding of how many were infected with COVID-19, the government’s pandemic response came much too late. Faulty test kits were first sent by the CDC delaying action. Red-tape from the FDA stopped independent labs from creating tests and testing samples. As cases of the coronavirus increased, available tests decreased. With not enough kits available, who gets a test is now a matter of strict regulation. (2)
Lack Of Testing, Supplies, And Money
With test kits in short supply, restrictive guidelines are now set in place by most states. Healthcare workers are most likely to come in direct contact with COVID-19–especially with a shortage of protective gear. Even so, many of these frontline virus fighters do not have access to tests. Rules based on CDC guidance allocate testing that prioritizes the worst symptoms. This means that many healthcare workers don’t have access to tests – though their testing criteria are different than that of the general public. Many of them are also afraid of speaking out for fear of retaliation.
Aside from a lack of testing, emergency physicians are worried about money. Many work as contractors with little prospect of income should they fall ill. This lack of funds is evident at all levels of the healthcare system. Doctors and nurses reuse and sanitize masks meant to be disposable. Clean scrubs are often in short supply due to costs and workers have to wash potentially contaminated clothing at home. A delay in emergency funding from the government in this time of crisis is simply making the situation worse. (1, 3)
The Future Remains Unseen
The old adage that “hindsight is 20/20” continues to prove true in the U.S. coronavirus response. The American government did not act quickly enough to stop the spread. Now that COVID-19 is in our midst, a fractured federal government has been unable to form unified, coherent actions. The mix of politics and a pandemic threat have served to make the situation even more convoluted.
While many U.S. healthcare workers fear the worst, some remain cautiously optimistic. The reason? A sense of community among doctors and nurses.
Dr. K. Kay Moody is an emergency room doctor in Olympia, Washington. She runs a Facebook group of emergency physicians, with membership topping 22,000. Finding support within her health care community has kept her spirits up. “Everybody feels the stress, but everybody is pulling together,” she told the New York Times. “That is what is keeping us OK.” (1)
