The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer.
Today we are facing two simultaneous epidemics, both infectious. One is spreading at breakneck spread, the other at variable speeds. Both are global, thus pandemic.
The source of the first of these epidemics is a virus, which causes an illness known as COVID-19. The source of the other is fear of the unknown attributes of COVID-19.
Scientists around the world are working tirelessly to understand COVID-19, to slow down its progress and to develop a vaccine to prevent its further spread.
Health professionals also are working to reduce fear of the unknown attributes of the virus by calmly recommending and instituting well established public health measures of containment and mitigation, which range from quarantine to canceling large gatherings of people, to hand washing and having people with symptoms of respiratory illness stay home.
Unfortunately, these public health recommendations are being undermined by political leaders who want to control the fear and its effects primarily by denying the existence and magnitude of COVID-19.
In the U.S., national βleadershipβ for responding to the virus has been assigned to politicians who neither understand the science nor have the public health expertise to engender trust in their public statements. They are focused almost exclusively on the potential effects of COVID-19 on our 2020 elections, in particular the presidential election.
Our countryβs response has been referred to as a βThird World responseβ by a variety of media experts.
The fuel provided by a misled political response here and elsewhere has spread the fear-based epidemic at a much faster rate than the viral epidemic.
China began its response with a political denial, which allowed the viral epidemic to progress widely and rapidly. Once they moved to a public health response, the spread of COVID-19 was reduced, both geographically and within originally infected populations.
In the U.S., we are fortunate that leadership at the state level in places like the state of Washington, California and New York are leading with public health approaches, which will instill confidence and reduce the spread of the viral epidemic more effectively and rapidly than any political response.
At the same time, a misguided political response at the national level continues to feed the fear-based epidemic, leaving economic destruction and unnecessary illness and death in its path.
We are expected to lead the world in having reliable testing available to all who need it, yet this too has failed both in the quantity and quality of available tests.
This failure is not a failure of scientists or health professionals, but a failure of political leaders who refuse to step aside so that scientists and public health professionals can lead.
Even here in Arizona, where at the time of this writing there were six cases statewide, panic has taken hold. Stores have empty shelves where supplies such as hand sanitizer and toilet paper would have been. Many people believe they need to have at least a monthβs supplies of food and other basic products to respond to the viral epidemic.
Calm and reasoned responses led by public health and scientific experts are needed right now, right here and globally. This is the only approach that will stall and stop the fear-based epidemic. At the same time, this approach also will effectively contain and stop the viral epidemic.
Do we have the strength to leave the politics aside, thus making way for the leadership we need from science and public health to reduce and contain both epidemics?
