In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Michael R. Strain and Scott Gottlieb make what appear to me to be some pretty solid suggestions about some of the measures the federal government should take in the face of the incipient COVID-19 pandemic. The op-ed also contains some observations on the potential impact of a severe outbreak on the poor you might not have considered:
Congress should make direct cash payments—mailed checks or direct deposits—to low-income households in places with severe outbreaks. Hourly wage workers should not feel compelled to show up to work sick because they need to pay bills. Congress can help these Americans recover and keep other people healthy by financing their time away from work.
In states experiencing severe outbreaks, Congress should waive the requirement that people receiving unemployment insurance payments look for work. Better that such unemployed workers receive financial assistance for rent, mortgages and groceries than to risk spreading the virus by applying and interviewing for jobs. Congress should also waive work requirements in the food-stamp program.
Children in low-income families will miss subsidized meals if schools are closed. Federal subsidies to those households should be increased to account for lost breakfasts and lunches. This might help relieve some of the pressure on low-income parents, who might otherwise feel the need to go to work even if ill.
The mechanics of some of these plans aren’t entirely clear to me. For example, I’m not sure how the proposed legislation could be limited to “places with severe outbreaks”.
What is clear to me is that with some big cities closing their schools, there is no time to waste.
“The mechanics of some of these plans aren’t entirely clear to me. For example, I’m not sure how the proposed legislation could be limited to “places with severe outbreaksâ€.â€
The potential for fraud is huge. But Trump Admin requests on payroll taxes and so forth are on point etc. Put money in the hands of the vulnerable. Period. I don’t understand travel industry subsidies. BS – it’s part of the business.
“Hourly wage workers should not feel compelled to show up to work sick because they need to pay bills. Congress can help these Americans recover and keep other people healthy by financing their time away from work.”
“time away from work” could be a long time if employees get fired for not showing up. It’s like the oped writers have no concept of how the real world works.
Can Congress and Government enact these things in time?
If they can it done by Monday, then good.
If it takes a month, either the worst will already be over or things will be so bad these measures will be inconsequential.
A weekend session for Congress?
They got the bank bailouts in just a couple of days. While I agree that the potential for fraud is large, the risk to people who might lose jobs is high. Now is the time to do this and congratulations for showing leadership in this one area.
Steve
I doubt any of these well meaning programs can be implemented before the next phase. That is, slow, gradual recognition containment has been less than successful and a gradual, necessary return to normal activity.
As with HIV, the death toll continues but it’s off center stage.
I really hope I’m wrong and a miracle cure comes along, but seems like a long shot.
“I really hope I’m wrong and a miracle cure comes along, but seems like a long shot.”
I think we should be concerned and we should be working towards getting through this. It looks like we are getting past the denial stage so that will be a big help. That said, based on experiences elsewhere we probably dont need a miracle cure, though we would gladly accept one. If you look at both China and South Korea, it looks like it is possible to bend the curve down. What we dont know yet is if warm weather slows this down and if it recurs in the fall. (Well, there is a lot we dont know but those are two important ones.)
Steve
Buying time and trying to stretch out the speed of the spread to prevent overwhelming of ICU’s seems to be the order of the day. I defer to your superior knowledge and experience, Steve.
Italy is having problems due to their much higher median age, and help problems. Also Italy have one third of our ICU units per capita. Which seems odd considering their aged population. Japan also has an old demographic.
If Wuhan flu flares up again in the fall, at least we will be six months closer to an effective vaccine.
Health, not help in second section.