What have the talking heads overlooked as they opine ad nauseam about vaccines and economic stimuli? The answer is obvious: trust. The President said we the people are in this together; therefore, we need a strategy in which every American acts in the interest of one people’s health and prosperity. The good news is today is akin to World War II: we are of a singular mind to win at all costs.
The bad news is today is without economic precedent: we have never been too frightened to gather. The Trust America plan must start at the White House, move quickly through the healthcare industry, and take hold in every enterprise where Americans routinely gather. It starts with universal test results, includes massive financial stimulus, and ends in gradual easing of current social-distancing habits.
Step One is testing every US resident for COVID-19 by Memorial Day (May 25). This is central to trust and full recovery, because we can only manage what we can measure. Once 325 million residents are tested, the government can use big data to identify, enumerate and segregate the non-infected, infected and recovered – and issue CDC wrist bands. Once Americans have REAL numbers and percentages, they can put COVID-19 into context.
For example, I wouldn’t home-isolate if just 10% of the country tested positive or morbidity rates were like seasonal influenza. My fears would also diminish if my community’s numbers were significantly lower than state and national averages. Common sense says CDC wrist bands would hasten America’s health and economic recovery:
- A red band (with date) is worn by anyone testing positive for 14 days – when they are isolated (in hospital or home) – and then re-tested
- A black band (with date) would be worn by anyone testing negative for 14 days – when they could move about low-risk communities with common-sense restrictions – and then re-tested
- A white band (with date) would be worn by anyone with antibodies after recovery, who would be free to move about the nation
There’d be serious consequences for counterfeit wrist bands or false claims. Each band would have a unique alpha-numeric number and expiration date. America would remain in 14-day test protocol until the CDC rings the all-clear bell. This could be as long as eighteen months.
Every pharmacy and health-care office would be equipped with Abbot Labs quick-test machine, creating “safe spaces” for essential health services. Your dentist might test staff daily and treat newly tested patients. The US would adapt to testing routines and transparency (e.g. match.com’s top requisite would soon become a white wrist band).
The US is competing against time – the White House gets this – to install test kits and make testing a national habit. Flood communities with test kits by allowing states to issue state test-kit bonds that pass tax-free to children. Force compliance by police event-checks, road-checks, and school-checks in June with graduating fines – and a goal of 100% compliance by July 4th. The USA can either host a pity party or create a national quest. Now is the time to Make America Great Again!