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A sign at the Yale Clinical Virology Lab that does testing of Covid-19 / coronavirus samples at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven.
Photo: Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut MediaA sign at the Yale Clinical Virology Lab that does testing of Covid-19 / coronavirus samples at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven.
A sign at the Yale Clinical Virology Lab that does testing of Covid-19 / coronavirus samples at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven.
A sign at the Yale Clinical Virology Lab that does testing of Covid-19 / coronavirus samples at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven.
“Your health is as safe as that of the worst-insured, worst-cared-for person in your society. It will be decided by the height of the floor, not the ceiling.”
In these particularly trying times, this quote by Anand Giridharadas elegantly encapsulates the direction our nation needs to move in — a need to abandon the notions of individualism and realize the deeply interconnected nature that is shared by every citizen of this country. The United States invests more financial capital than any other nation into its health care, yet consistently finds itself ranked among the worst health metrics.
By and large, this is a reflection of the lack of safety nets, in the form of essential welfare programs, as well as the insufficient attention placed on preventive measures, both in terms of primary care and basic social programs. These facets allow for the creation of a system that affords those of higher socioeconomic status the fruits of medicine and health care, while disproportionately baring poorer individuals from pursuing their right to life and liberty.
In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted both the inadequacies of the American health care system and the leadership that is the Trump administration, or lack thereof. Despite this nation having over two months to prepare for this pandemic, we find ourselves in the middle of a shortage of testing kits to properly screen for the prevalence and incidence of this disease. Nations like South Korea and China, which rapidly developed and dispersed kits, only stand to rub salt in the wounds that are the failure that is Trump and his policies.
As if the blatant lack of preparation were not enough of a defect, essential medical equipment, like masks and ventilators, remain at a severe shortage as our capitalistic society relishes in price-gouging to raise the cost of essential goods by over 14 times their real value. As everyday Americans run to their local grocery stores to buy inordinate amounts of toilet paper and canned goods, most are not aware that the grocery store clerks who stock our markets work tirelessly without paid sick leave — a public health risk that affects even the wealthiest in our society.
But is this not the vision of small government that conservatives and enthusiasts of Reaganomics so viciously fought for? Is the best government truly the one that adopts a laissez faire approach, allows markets to run free, and stays the hell out of our business? The rise of COVID-19 and the inevitable economic recession that awaits makes it clearer than ever that the bedrock of U.S. economic principles are ones not created for the average man and woman, but instead for the Jeff Bezoses and Michael Bloombergs of our world.
Yet if there is a silver lining to be found in these difficult times, it is that even the most tumultuous of challenges may allow us to take a moment to reflect on our current values and systems. Perhaps the concept of universal health care, guaranteed paid sick leave and adequate market regulation are ideas that become increasingly attractive to Americans and politicians.
However, the question still remains: can the screams and cries of conservative news media and their special interest be loud enough to once more subdue a nation into believing that the ultimate evil is big government and its “dangerous” web of welfare programs? As the veil of small government and its supposed virtues are slowly pulled away, all we can hope for is that the next time our nation finds itself in the middle of an existential crisis, we are better prepared to face such challenges because of the past lessons learned.
Sacha Hauc is a student at the Yale School of Public Health.
"Opinion" - Google News
March 30, 2020 at 11:44PM
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Opinion: Silver linings in the age of coronavirus - New Haven Register
"Opinion" - Google News
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