Editorial | Mask politics in the United States

COVID-19 has struck one of the most prominent patients of all. United States (US)President Donald Trump, 74, tweeted just before 1 a.m. Friday that he and the First Lady had tested positive for coronavirus. Mere hours before this turn of events, he was declaring the end of the pandemic.

The US president has consistently downplayed the severity of the virus, mocked mask wearers, and ignored public-health warnings to maintain social distance by continuing to hold rallies and fundraisers across the country. He has had public squabbles with his scientific team, sidelined some, contradicted others, and generally undermined their efforts.

This is in the face of some pretty alarming statistics – seven million Americans have contracted the virus, more than 208,000 have died, and it is projected to kill more than 400,000 by the end of this year.

If ever a situation was crying out for decisive leadership that is honest and mature, it is the current pandemic. The plague, as Trump styled it during Tuesday’s presidential debate, continues to baffle scientists and policymakers. But they are generally agreed on one thing: wearing a mask is one of the best defences against COVID-19.

“Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus,” advised Dr Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as he urged Americans to be responsible for their health by protecting themselves, families, and communities.

ANTI-MASKERS

However, by his refusal to consistently wear a mask, President Trump exhibited a cavalier attitude and air of invincibility. Suddenly, wearing a mask became a political statement in America, and the decision to wear a mask or not became informed by the party politics.

Republicans, taking their cue from President Trump, shunned masks, while Democrats quickly adapted to mask wearing like their party leaders.

Trump’s indoor rallies with anti-maskers packed together, often defying state mitigation orders that ban gatherings of more than 50, showed a kind of recklessness that endangered not only himself but many others who are now beginning to show up positive results.

Some predicted that flouting the rules made President Trump a prime candidate to contract COVID-19 and argued that it would only be a matter of time before the inevitable would occur. Indeed, the time has come.

Trump’s positive diagnosis, confirmed a month before national elections, has medical, financial, political, and national-security ramifications for America and the world. The entire stability of the country could be at stake.

Besides, his positive diagnosis will dramatically alter the rest of the campaign, and his poor handling of the virus and the broken healthcare system will continue to dominate the news. Unlike the many thousands who struggled with the virus, the president and privileged persons like himself will have top-flight medical attention available to them.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 56, became dangerously ill with the coronavirus back in March and required hospitalisation. He spent a month away from office. It “almost killed him”, by his own account.

After what he experienced, Johnson may want to exchange notes with President Trump. For example, he may explain to him that the virus is not like the flu; that it will not just go away; that it cannot be treated with bleach; and that he now wears a mask, just like Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.

Another truth that Trump must face is that even though there are optimistic signals, there are no clear indications of when a vaccine will become available.

The clear message from this latest crisis in America is that human behaviour is the first line of defence in dealing with this virus, and maybe if President Trump had acted more responsibly, this would not have happened.