State leaders should take own advice on virus precautions
Soap, space and common sense ought to see most of us through what awaits as the coronavirus spreads. I’m calm and concerned, which is likely how most people feel. As our leaders make decisions on the urgent task of containing the virus, it’s important that they take their own advice.
So what were they doing rubbing shoulders with each other for a photo op?
This is not the flu. It’s worse, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, our national expert on infectious diseases. Consider that tens of thousands of Americans die from the flu each year even with tens of millions of Americans receiving the annual vaccine. There’s no vaccine for the coronavirus, and it’s unlikely there will be one until next year.
Former Vice President Joseph Biden and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders set a commendable example of prudence when they canceled their primary night rallies Tuesday in Ohio. You do not need to be CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta to know that large public gatherings, especially ones that feature people squished together to create the impression of an overflowing rally, increase the risk that leaders are trying to reduce.
The surging Biden is scheduled to visit Connecticut next week. Gov. Ned Lamont was an early Biden supporter and stuck with him through some dismal months when the Biden campaign was in uninterrupted decline. Loyalty is a prized attribute in politics. Biden making time for a stop in Connecticut more than a month before the April 28 primary acknowledges Lamont’s stalwart support. A traditional campaign rally would undermine the example both Biden and Lamont are trying to set.
There’s also the nagging matter of age. Vulnerability to the virus increases with age. The three major candidates left in the race for president are in their 70s. One, Sanders, had a heart attack last fall. Well-wishers are no less likely to spread the virus than the ambivalent. This year’s presidential campaign may require some innovations beyond more precisely targeted Facebook ads.
If you are washing your hands frequently, drinking water and sneezing into the crook of your arm, learning how to get through the day without touching your face, you are making an important contribution to containing the spread of what’s now a pandemic.