A virus has no politics

One of the more repulsive and terrifying things about this pandemic is how quickly it was cast (and is being played out) as a political issue.

A virus has no politics.

The decision to stay at home, to mask up when attending to essential business is not political.

The medical researchers in labs around the world working on potential vaccines are not compelled by whatever their personal political beliefs might be.

The nurses and doctors putting their own health at great risk to care for others are not compelled to do so based on whatever their personal political beliefs might be.

Yet the man who–to our great shame—is currently our president has made it into a political issue. This is not just (as so much of what he does and says and is) reprehensible. It is dangerous.

I gasp at his off-the-rails televised public briefings, at his ongoing “leadership” of the right-wing’s devaluation and dismissal of science, at the bizarre alt-right conspiracy theories concerning the origin of the disease, at the “patriot” zealots calling for taking to the streets to re-open businesses because government closures violate our constitutional rights. At preachers, spouting political rhetoric, who tell their flocks to gather en masse because god will protect the righteous.

There is no room for posturing here. Or grandstanding. Or twitter-ranting. COVID-19 and what we do now–the careful, informed, compassionate apolitical choices we make to save lives and help our communities recover–will define our humanity. The man who–to our great shame–sits in the White House has shown, in this crisis, what kind of a human he is.

We need to listen to real leaders. Like the governors of Oregon, Washington and California who issued this joint statement about planning our “comeback”:

“Health outcomes and science – not politics – will guide these decisions. Modifications to our states’ stay at home orders must be made based on our understanding of the total health impacts of COVID-19, including: the direct impact of the disease on our communities; the health impact of measures introduced to control the spread in communities—particularly felt by those already experiencing social disadvantage prior to COVID-19; and our health care systems’ ability to ensure care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This effort will be guided by data. We need to see a decline in the rate of spread of the virus before large-scale reopening, and we will be working in coordination to identify the best metrics to guide this.

Public health experts like Dr. Fauci urge extreme caution about resuming normal life too soon for fear of instigating another wave of illness and death.

When to “re-open for business” is NOT a political decision.