In early March, COVID-19 made its way into the Northwest region of the United Sates, and most definitely promised to wreak havoc on the entire nation. The 24-hour news cycle bombarded us with the latest updates of its effects globally and here in the U. S. with each report the numbers grew and so did doubt. Few believed the reports until it was their city or their health that was being compromised. At first, the CDC reported that the virus targeted the elderly and the immune compromised. As this virus infected one city after the next, young and old, Americans began to realize that COVID-19 also known as Corona virus did not discriminate. This unknown virus had now become the first pandemic since the Spanish Flu in 1918 and single handily halted life here and abroad. In just a few short days the lives of American families would look incredibly different. In one month’s time, the entire world’s economic, social, medical, and political landscapes had changed in an unprecedented fashion. From the vacated streets in China to an abandoned Times Square, the toll this virus has taken reaches far beyond our loss of normalcy. This unseen enemy has wreaked havoc the economic markets and political scene. Prior to COVID-19 making its debut in March, President Trump touted about creating the strongest economy of all time, having the lowest unemployment rate of 3%, and bringing Americans back to work by creating over six million new jobs. In addition, he grew the economy by over two percent and this was a prime talking point for President Trump’s upcoming re-election bid in November 2020. As this virus crept across this nation and all 50 states reported cases of citizens infected with COVID-19, the dialogue went from adulation to survival. This pandemic forced the President to form a task force that collaborated about the best way to attack a virus that had no vaccine, no remedy, and no knowledge of transmission. With that, mitigation, social distancing, and flatten the curve, became the talking points and catch phrases at every news conference and dinner tables across America. Daily we would be updated by governors about which part of their state would close, and the next day they would inform us of further closures. Within a few short days, our beaches, parks, and even Disney World closed in hopes to stop the spread of this virus. With each day that passed we would learn of more and more restrictions to help protect those most likely to be infected. As a result of our country shutting down, many people were left jobless. The American worker was either furloughed or let go by employers because they could no longer afford to pay them. Needless to say, the unemployment soared up from its historically low 3% to a high that has not even been calculated yet. Ten million Americans have now found themselves filing for unemployment, an unprecedented number in such a short time. According to Kimberly Amadeo, the stock market had its largest point plunge in history with over a 2,000 point loss. The government stepped in and created stimulus packages to help its citizens survive this economic shutdown. However, the longer Americans are out of work the greater the long-term effects will be on the economy. President Trump is eager to keep Americans safe, flatten the curve, and open up the country again. Despite media reports, President Trump spoke positively about the task force, governors, businesses, the medical professionals, first responders, and the American people by praising them for doing an amazing job working together to lessen the effects of the virus. Sadly, COVID-19 has taken many lives here and around the world, but because of the relentless work of many to find prophylactics, testing, and a vaccine, many have been spared. The more we all do our part and mitigate the quicker we can return to life as we know it. As President Trump stated, “Let’s not make the cure worse than the problem itself.”
