“At Times Like This We Must Come Together as Americans”: What the President Should Have Said about the Coronavirus

My fellow Americans,

Many of you have been following the spread of COVID-19, sometimes referred to as the “coronavirus.” The rapid escalation of COVID-19 cases around the world has been alarming. What started off just five weeks ago in a single Chinese province has now grown to more than 80,000 cases in 60 nations, including more than 60 confirmed cases in the United States. Our public health officials believe that there will be more.

There is no reason to panic. For most people, COVID-19 is not fatal. Most people who are infected with the virus experience symptoms similar to the flu, and most cases end with full recovery. The United States has some of the best public health professionals in the world, and they are doing everything they can to identify cases and contain the spread of this disease.

However, the virus can be very dangerous for some people. Oldedr adults and those with weak immune systems are disproportionally at risk. If the coronavirus is not contained, it will spread in the United States the way that it has already spread in other countries, and many of the most vulnerable people in our society will suffer the most.