Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Institute of Global Health, on Sunday attributed an increase in coronavirus cases across much of the nation to a combination of premature reopens, lack of testing infrastructure, and unclear messages about measures of caution.
“We got here because … I think we opened too early in some places, many states did not follow White House guidelines on when to open safely,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“We didn’t have the kind of testing and tracking infrastructure we needed [and] Last but not least, there have been many mixed messages on masks and social distancing, so all of this has contributed to what I believe is a dangerous moment for our country, “he added.
When asked by guest host Mike Emanuel about declining mortality even as cases rise, Jha noted that deaths from the virus are often a “lagging indicator,” but added that other factors may also explain the decline, including more cases among younger patients. and more likely to survive.
In addition, he said “we are improving in the treatment of the disease, so we could have someone who spends 2 or 3 weeks in the [intensive care unit] and he leaves, they will still be quite sick with a lot of suffering, but they are less likely to die. “
Emanuel also asked Jha about President Trump
Donald John Trump protesters tear down the Christopher Columbus statue on Baltimore Independence Day star Bill Pullman, urging Americans to wear a “mask of freedom” on July 4.The recent Mount Rushmore event for the weekend of July 4, during which masks were optional and chairs were attached.
“Those are just risky things, any big gathering where people don’t socially distance themselves and don’t wear a mask is risky,” Jha replied. “Outside is better than inside, but my opinion is that the president should continue with science here and encourage people to wear masks, he can build a certain social distancing … I am puzzled why we are not doing the things that we can do pretty easily to reduce risk. “
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