By Hannah Sammut
In a few weeks, Covid-19 will have been rampant in the United States for a year. A year of economic downfall, widespread unemployment, and a figure of over 400,000 deaths that continues to grow. While a majority of the world is still battling high infection rates, the United States is embarrassingly behind in its ability to curb the spread of disease. Ranked #10 in countries with the highest rate of infection, the U.S. boasted about 320 infections per 100,000 people in the past seven days alone.
Meanwhile, neighboring Canada’s value is 88. And let’s not forget about New Zealand, who’s current figure is 0.4; or Australia, a mere 0.2. Life has effectively resumed, and citizens are able to enjoy life’s simple pleasures that I know I have taken for granted.
But what’s been the key to kicking the virus in these countries? The answer is a word that causes Americans to shudder— restrictions. In the countries that no longer live in fear of succumbing to the coronavirus, strict lockdowns were enforced, and when cases rose again, cities locked down again. Several counties in Victoria, Australia shut down a second time from June through July and it worked. Flights were grounded and hotel quarantines were imposed. Last week, a singular positive test result from a Perth security guard shut the whole city down for five days.
Ian Mackay, a virologist from Queensland, noted that “everyone can learn from us, but not all are willing to learn” when referring to the effect of Australia’s lockdowns.
God forbid this level of effective restriction occur in the United States. Flights haven’t seemed to dwindle, and this last holiday season over 5 million had entered TSA checkpoints. Social distancing was essentially impossible due to overcrowding of airlines. TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein told the Washington Post that recent holiday travel was akin to “pre-pandemic type of travel patterns.”
Still, anyone can board a plane. With over 50% of Covid cases being transmitted by asymptomatic individuals, only a rapid test will determine if the person sitting next to you on a six-hour flight is Covid-positive. However, passengers aren’t screened for possible infection, and the disease continues to spread across the U.S. as a result.
If screening millions of travelers is too sizable a task, the easiest step is at least a nationwide mandatory mask mandate, and to enforce it. Masks are proven to be up to 80% effective in blocking respiratory droplets that transmit infection. Despite the data that proves its efficacy, mask-wearing is still optional in 12 states, which is even more appalling as experts now recommend wearing two masks at a time. Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC News’ “TODAY” that doubling up “just makes common sense.”
Will the U.S. ever shed its aversion to minor inconvenience and change? Probably not. But, perhaps with a little more restrictive measures that will benefit the population in the long haul, we can enjoy normalcy again.
Hannah Sammut 