The Lack of Elected Officials Debate on SARS-CoV-2 Policy
What should have been the proper role of our federally elected officials and employed public health and infectious disease experts when the SARS-CoV-2 virus landed on our shores? Policy is the responsibility of elected officials because they are responsible to the voting public, while federal employees are not subject to the same scrutiny. However, there has been no vigorous debate among our elected officials discussing the advisability of different options that should have been presented to them by various experts.
With this virus there were/are at least two options. Option 1, a classical epidemiological approach attempting to slow, never stopping, the spread of the virus by proposing lockdowns with school closures and counting those infected ignoring their demographic. Option 2, a response based on knowing the unique effects of this virus on the population. It quickly became obvious that the elderly and those with underlying diseases were at risk for serious complications. Thus, concentrate on protecting the vulnerable while the healthy young continue their normal activities.
A lack of open debate of the various alternatives evaded by ALL our elected officials is a dereliction of their constitutional responsibility and not condemned by the press. This limited discussion of the best way to deal with this threat ignored the many devastating long term effects of the present course of action.
