Now that we’re several months deep into the coronavirus pandemic, hindsight has once again proven to be twenty-twenty, especially when it comes to the initial outbreak stages. It’s been widely argued that the United States was late to the party on this one, with prominent news outlets and even President Donald Trump himself initially suggesting that the virus was nothing more than a Democrat-fueled hoax. At this point, the grim reality has since set in, with COVID-fatalities climbing and the economy at risk of collapse.

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So what, if anything, could have been done to prevent this? It’s been a question on many-a-mind, from the laypeople holed up in a quarantined state to the experts working in consultary roles. Today, The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump even contemplated allowing the coronavirus to spread across the United States so that a herd-immunity could be developed at a faster rate. 

Apparently, the suggestion arose during a March 14th Situation Room meeting. “Why don’t we let this wash over the country?” asked Trump, according to the testimony of two sources reportedly present. As it happens, the person he asked was Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has since become one of the leading public experts during this ongoing crisis. Upon understanding exactly what Trump was suggesting, Fauci countered that “many” lives would be lost as a result of such a strategy. It would appear that Trump indeed decided to heed Fauci’s counsel, though given that he has since retweeted a veiled threat to can the doctor, perhaps that relationship has since eroded further.

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