On last night’s Rachel Maddow Show, Maddow broadcast several informative and enlightening segments on COVID-19, echoing experts who have pointed out that the curve of coronavirus infections in the U.S. looks much like Italy’s curve. Yesterday, Italy recorded 475 deaths in a single day, the highest one-day toll of any nation in the world so far.
Maddow also spoke with Donald McNeil, science and health reporter for the New York Times, who offered a grim forecast of what is ahead for the U.S.
But before we get to that, Maddow expressed her concern over 7 states, some with enormous populations, that don’t seem to be doing anything to curb the spread of coronavirus at all. Those states are Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and Wyoming.
“No state-mandated school closures. No state-mandated limits on large gatherings,” said Maddow. “No state mandates on the operations of businesses like bars and restaurants. …. Because sure, why not? Make it up yourself. See how it goes. No reason to panic, right? No reason to hustle. Let’s just see how this plays out.”
In another segment, Maddow highlighted one town in Italy, Vò, which very successfully used aggressive testing to neutralize the spread of the virus. Those tested, including several people who were asymptomatic, were isolated from the rest of the population quickly.
“They have now gone days with no new cases in that town.”
Unfortunately, the U.S. can’t manage to get enough test kits manufactured and distributed.
Another segment offered a grim forecast of what is ahead for the U.S.
Said McNeil to Maddow: “I will predict that since we are going down the path of Italy, and we are a much bigger country than Italy, that we will surpass Italy in the number of dead in a few weeks. … I don’t understand why we’re talking about a small town like Vo in Italy when that same lesson, that you have to test and isolate as many people as possible was a lesson learned in cities all over Asia months ago, and we have been paying very little attention to what they’re doing.”
If you’re interested in hearing more from McNeil, he has just published a Q&A about the virus over at the New York Times.
