By Isabella Picillo
Economies are dependent on the good health and well-being of the people that make them functional. Globally, COVID-19 has sickened more than one million individuals in a matter of weeks and has produced a death toll which has surpassed 250,000 and is likely to grow further.
In the United States, COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the American economy. Approximately 33 million individuals have filed for unemployment since the outbreak. In March alone, approximately 701,000 job losses occurred, making March the worst month for job losses since the Great Recession. Business and academic economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal predict that gross domestic product will contract at an annual rate of 25% in the second quarter, and the unemployment rate will reach 13% in June. However, we still should anticipate corporate profits to decline sharply and businesses to struggle with lower demand.
It is unlikely that COVID-19 could have been completely avoided. However, there is no doubt that the impact of this virus could have been mitigated. Other countries around the world have taken measures, which under ordinary circumstances, would be deemed as “‘extreme,’” to contain the virus and “flatten the curve.” Some notable responses include nationwide lockdowns and moving all nonessential work remotely. In the U.S., the reaction to COVID-19 has varied by state.
On the federal level, the Trump administration initially took a cavalier attitude towards the virus. In January through early March, President Trump dismissed the threat of the virus, stating at a New Hampshire rally on February 10th that “when it gets a little warmer, [the virus] miraculously will go away.” Even during those early months, it was clear that President Trump’s statements were false. The virus was spreading rapidly even in Singapore, where average temperatures are similar to the U.S.’s summers.
Moreover, as cases began to rise in the US, the lag time in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak ultimately caused the United States to miss the window for contact tracing, an essential public health tool used to interrupt transmission and reduce the spread of infection. However, regardless of the President’s reaction to COVID-19, the US healthcare system is not well equipped to deal with an outbreak. Indeed, this epidemic has exposed many of the American healthcare system’s weaknesses.
One major problem with the U.S. healthcare system is that many people do not have insurance or lack adequate coverage. The U.S. Census Bureau indicates that 27.5 million Americans did not have health insurance during 2018. Many of the people that fall into this category are low-income. These uninsured individuals, or the ones who lack adequate coverage, might avoid seeking medical care because of the associated cost, often due to high deductibles, high premiums, and hidden fees and unexpected costs. To contain COVID-19, Americans should seek their healthcare providers as soon as they develop symptoms. However, many of these uninsured individuals will not seek medical attention due to fear that they will end up with a hefty bill. When individuals do not get tested and treated, they risk spreading the virus, especially if they are not aware of their infection and do not properly self-quarantine.
Another major issue exposed by the COVID-19 outbreak is how remoteness affects access to healthcare. About 20% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, yet only 9% of practicing physicians work in remote regions, which, in part, explains why rural communities experience delayed healthcare seeking, higher healthcare costs, and increased travel burdens. Individuals living in remote or rural areas may not be able to access the necessary care to test and treat COVID-19.
The current pandemic also demonstrates the inability of the U.S. health system to adapt and respond to health crises. When COVID-19 cases started rising, the U.S. was significantly behind other countries, such as Germany and South Korea, in its testing capabilities. In early March, the U.S. was only performing five COVID-19 tests per million people, whereas South Korea was conducting 3,692 tests per million people.
Part of the reason why the U.S.’s testing capabilities are so far behind is because of flawed test kits, manufacturing problems, government red tape, and the Trump administration's conflicting, or even false, statements about the need for tests. The extent to which this problem manifests varies by state. In February, the C.D.C. began sending out coronavirus test kits to state and local public health labs. However, these kits were rendered ineffective due to contamination at the C.D.C. laboratories. Consequently, the US government suspended the launch of its nationwide detection program for a month. Not only was the US government unprepared but it was also unable to establish a systematic testing policy.
Overall, the inability of the U.S. to provide healthcare to its citizens and the inadaptability of the U.S. healthcare system are a reflection of the U.S.’s fragmented and inefficient healthcare system, which results in high costs and varied service quality of healthcare. These problems make it difficult for the presidential administration to coordinate mass efforts across the entire country and ensure individuals, regardless of their geographic and socioeconomic status, can access and receive quality health care service.
The solution to these issues is a universal healthcare system, which would enable Americans to access healthcare regardless of their demographics and the federal government to execute a more efficient approach to health crises. Changes in policy and the fundamental ways in which the American political system views health care must occur before the government can support this type of healthcare system. A universal health care system also has limitations. The US government will still have to prioritize improving rural hospitals which are now on the brink of closure. Offering grants, providing support for training physicians who plan to practice in rural areas, and giving technical assistance to help hospitals with implementation and certification of new services, would boost productivity in struggling hospitals.
A universal health care system does not mean the end of public and private sector collaboration. Private businesses are essential in producing medical supplies and developing tests and treatment for the virus, but they are not responsible for ensuring individuals are tested and treated. The COVID-19 outbreak serves as a reminder that universal healthcare is a more efficient and egalitarian system for mitigating the effects of pandemics.