The runaway pandemic

Out of control, the coronavirus pandemic has already earned a place in the history books as one of the most devastating and deadly events in U.S. history. With more than 237,000 deaths, it has taken four times the number of U.S. military lives that were lost in the Vietnam War.

And, judging by the past week, it will go on doing so. The virus is spreading uncontrolled in every region of the United States and in almost every state.

President Donald Trump has rightly been blamed for a woefully negligent pandemic response. But now is a good moment to look ahead. The nation faces a colossal challenge in the coming weeks, and no clear path.

European governments, facing a virus surge, have moved with much greater alacrity, and their actions may foreshadow what can be expected here. The United Kingdom began a four-week partial lockdown on Thursday, with waivers for schools and universities, in an attempt to avoid overloading the health-care system. Germany, France, Spain and Greece have also imposed various shutdowns.

“Lockdown” is itself a bitter medicine, but it may be necessary in some areas of the United States to slow virus transmission. Economic losses are inevitable, and deserve government relief, but they will be far more severe without a stringent pandemic response. As a nation, we can do a lot to brake the runaway train of infection by wearing face masks, avoiding large indoor gatherings, practicing distancing and good hygiene. Some 20 million young people are enrolled in colleges and universities this year—many taking Thanksgiving break soon, which is another opportunity for superspreader events. Heartbreaking as it is, this holiday season demands extraordinary caution, and traditional large family events should be avoided.

The presidential transition, a time of uncertainty, makes the pandemic response even more problematic.