Coronavirus worse than Pearl Harbor, September 11 attacks: Trump

United States President Donald Trump said the White House Task Force on the coronavirus has done a great job. (AP)

The deadly attack of coronavirus in the United States is worse than that of Pearl Harbor and September 11, President Donald Trump said Wednesday.

“We went through the worst attack we have had in our country. This is truly the worst attack we have ever had. This is worse than Pearl Harbor. This is worse than the World Trade Center. There has never been an attack like this, ”he told reporters in the White House Oval Office during a meeting with nurses.

At another White House event, when asked by reporters about his previous comments comparing COVID-19 to the attacks on Pearl Harbor and on September 11, 2001, Trump said: “I see the invisible enemy as war. I don’t like how it got here, because it could have stopped, but no, I see the invisible enemy as a war. “

Hey, it has killed more people than Pearl Harbor. And it has killed more people than the World Trade Center. The World Trade Center was close to 3,000. Well, unfortunately we will get over it many times. So yes. We see it as a war, “he added.

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“This is a mobilization against a war. In many ways, it is a tougher enemy. We do very well against visible enemies. It is the invisible enemy. This is an invisible enemy. But we are doing a good job, “said the president.

By Wednesday, more than 72,000 Americans had died from COVID-19 and more than 12 lakh tested positive for the disease. Due to preventive social mitigation measures and the complete closure of states and businesses, more than three million people have applied for unemployment benefits.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank project the recession of the American economy and, according to the White House, the country is likely to experience growth of minus 15-20 percent in the second quarter of the current financial year.

The number of daily deaths and new cases of infections have shown signs of decline, and as a result, a large number of states have begun to open up their economies.

Trump said the White House Task Force on Coronavirus has done a great job.

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“We will leave the working group indefinitely. We will see. You know at some point it will end. Things end, but we will add some people to the working group, “he said.

“I thought we could calm him down earlier. But I had no idea how popular the task force is until yesterday, when I started talking about downsizing it. I get calls from highly respected people who say, “I think it would be best to keep it going, it has done a good job.” It is a respected working group. I know it myself. I didn’t know if the public appreciated it or not, but the public appreciated it, “added the president.

Trump said he would like to see schools open whenever possible.

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“I would say that until everything is perfect, I think teachers who are a certain age, maybe say more than 60 years, especially if they have a heart problem or diabetes or any of several things, I think I should not be teaching in schools for a while. And everyone would probably understand it. We understand that, ”he said.

“But other than that, we see how good children look. Amazing. You realize how strong kids are, right? Your immune system is maybe a little bit different, maybe a little bit stronger. Or maybe it’s much stronger, right? It could be much stronger. We have learned a lot from watching this monster, “said the President.

He also praised the nurses for their “brave sacrifices.”

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Sophia Thomas, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, who works in New Orleans, was a little out of place when Trump made most of his guests agree that hospitals now have many masks, gowns, etc.

“Certainly, there are areas of areas where PPE is not ideal, but this is an unprecedented time and the infection control measures we learned when we went to school: a gown, a mask for a patient per day or for a time. .It’s a different time. I’ve been reusing my N95 mask for a few weeks. I just got a new one to come here in case I need to wear it, “said Thomas.

The President paid special attention to Luke Adams, a nurse who volunteered to work in New York City.

“The men and women in this room today are true American heroes. Luke Adams is an 11 year old nurse. Live in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, good place. When he heard the call from volunteers in New York, Luke drove to the epicenter of the outbreak and slept in his car for nine days, so he could help care for the sick, “Trump said.

“Many of us have been forced to distance ourselves from our partners, our children. We have slept on concrete floors or in cars. And we did these things not for our own benefit or safety, “Adams said.

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