15 Days

WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020

This late night tweet on Sunday from President Trump seems to indicate that we are not certain to face a lengthy shutdown of our economy.

I understand the necessity of "flattening the curve," but the curve doesn't exist in a vacuum. The fallout from the destruction of our economy would be intolerable for the people of our country and the world.

The more we learn about the virus the more targeted our approach can be in managing the outbreak.

By attempting to slow the circulation of COVID-19 through our communities, we hopefully have prevented our medical system from being catastrophically overwhelmed.

The measures taken so far have been dramatic. Bringing life to a near standstill has been surreal. Beyond the fear caused by the virus itself, the hoarding and panic-buying has been most disturbing.

It's made me realize how we lucky we are. Everything we need, food and household supplies, are always available. Being unable to buy things as basic as bread is scary. It's only been a bit over a week but I long for the days when the frozen food aisle was stocked with more than a couple of opened bags of peas spilled on the shelves. (Aren't people running out of freezer space? You can fill a room with toilet paper but there's a limit to how much one can have in the freezer.) Something as simple as picking up groceries is filled with uncertainty.

It's reassuring to know that if you need Tylenol or some other over-the-counter medicine it will be easily attainable. Now, the shelves are empty and "out of stock" is typical online. Also scary.

Of course, while scary, none of that compares to the consequences of being thrown out of work and the childcare mess resulting from school shutdowns. Small businesses are on the brink. Families are on the brink. This can't continue without severe suffering for millions and millions of Americans.

The government can't fix all this.

Letting Americans get back to business can.

Take trillions of dollars and use it to safeguard the at-risk population rather than destroying the economy and forcing formerly prospering Americans to be dependent on the government.

At 15 days, we need to make decisions that account for all factors. This isn't just a health crisis. It's an economic crisis. We have to find a balance between slowing the virus and destroying our country.