Trump's War Against the Coronavirus Is Working

A 35-year-old Washington, D.C., man visited an urgent care clinic on Jan. 19, a few days after returning from Wuhan, China.

After undergoing testing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that he had contracted the 2019-nCoV coronavirus—the first such case in the United States.

As cases began to emerge within American borders, the Trump administration took quick and decisive action.

By creating a coronavirus task force, issuing stringent travel restrictions, and offering to aid the Chinese in combating the outbreak, the White House has made every effort to protect the American people and stop the virus from spreading.

First, on Jan. 29, the White House announced the formation of the task force, designed to facilitate interagency coordination while keeping President Donald Trump informed on the epidemic.

The task force, coordinated through the National Security Council, includes a variety of public health officials, regional experts, and national security specialists. Trump tapped Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to lead the group.

As The Heritage Foundation’s Peter Brookes has pointed out, it’s somewhat odd that the task force did not initially include officials from the Department of Defense. Not only does the Pentagon have immense logistical resources at its disposal, it also has been requested to provide housing for individuals under quarantine. Perhaps by now, the Defense Department is represented on the task force.

Overall, however, the creation of the task force should be considered a success. Continued collaboration between government agencies will be essential for containing the spread of the virus.

Then, on Jan. 31, Trump signed a proclamation restricting travel from China to the United States.

The document first outlined two types of quarantines for U.S. citizens returning from China, depending on which regions they had traveled to.

Americans who traveled to Hubei province—the epicenter of the 2019-nCoV outbreak—within the past two weeks must undergo up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine, conducted at various locations and military bases.

Meanwhile, Americans returning from other regions of China will face up to 14 days of monitored self-quarantine in their own homes.

Second, Americans who enter the country after traveling to China are being routed through certain airports, where Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts can conduct advanced health screenings.

Third, foreign nationals who visited China within the past two weeks will be barred from entering the United States.

While this provision contains a number of exceptions—family members of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals working on flight crews, for instance, are exempted—some commentators have criticized it as too harsh a response.

Overall, however, these restrictions actually demonstrate a willingness to protect the American people—by whatever means necessary.

Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, summed up the rationale behind such a drastic response.

“We would rather be remembered for overreacting than underreacting,” she said.

During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Trump announced that the U.S. is “coordinating with the Chinese government and working closely together” to combat the spread.

The day before, on Monday, Health and Human Services announced that American experts will join a World Health Organization team tasked with curbing the outbreak in China. The U.S. has also delivered medical supplies and humanitarian goods to authorities in Wuhan.

On the whole, the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has been decisive and comprehensive, and—thus far, at least—seems to be quite effective.

The U.S. response has generated backlash from the World Health Organization and the Chinese government, which have framed the travel restrictions as too extreme. But protecting the American people must be any U.S. president’s first priority.

Ultimately, the administration deserves praise for formulating a robust response to the outbreak.

Brayden Helwig is a member of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation.

Thomas W. Spoehr, a retired Army lieutenant general, is director of the Center for National Defense at The Heritage Foundation.

I’m not a soldier but I lived many years without running water. We had to conserve because our storage capacity was very small, about 100 gallons. In winter, we could be snowed in for as long as 2 months.

Thank God for thin hair! I can take an entire “shower” in a half gallon of water. We bought a small metal tub..about 2 1/2 feet on top and a foot and a half or so on bottom to collect water from our “showers” that we could stand in. The kids could sit in it and actually take a bath. The grey water was dumped into the garden area. Most houses have bathtubs or shower stalls, but we didn’t have that. We heated and cooked with wood. Life wasn’t easy but gosh did I love it. Today I’m grateful for those survival experiences as are my kids. Every one of them can survive on very little and are prepped to live for months if need be. Some of my great grand kids are in the process of learning. Survivalist existence is a lifestyle regardless of circumstances. ALWAYS be prepared for emergencies because they can srike quite suddenly and in unexpected ways. Acquire items that can act as dual purpose items. An air mattress can also be a flotation device in an emergency. A small tend in your living room can provide a small space which can be easily warmed in winter with a candle and a couple of terracotta flower pots. An oil lamp also heats well. A dog can keep you warm in your bed.

If you have a larger dog you can train him to carry wood in a special apron on its back, or can help you pull a wagon of some sort for you.

Diesel furl is not explosive. It works well as a lamp oil. Make sure you ventilate. It makes a fire a bit easier to start. Its just kerosene with stuff added to keep it from freezing and is a ton cheaper than lamp oil at walmart. Actual kerosene is better, but can be impossible to come by.

I keep a two burner propane stove on hand. You can get the long tube to connect to a reulator on a propane tank..even a full size tank. That tank can run both stove or propane lamp. The lamp puts out heat, too.

And don’t forget, some nice yard grills also gace a side burner or two. Aluminum foil is your friend. Keep lots on hand. It’s fantastic for watwrless food cooking and saves on water from not having pots and pans. Camp fires can help too.

Keep a solar shower on hand for heating water. They work frate for washing dishes as well as showers. Hang the bag on a wall and rinsing dishes is easy as pie. Don’t waste the grey water.
You can use the sun to heat the water, or you can fill it with warmed water. Whichever works best for your circumstances.

A spare car battery can run a light bulb with the right clip on gadget. Keep batter charging cables on hand to recharge the lamp battery.

Thise are all pretty extreme measures but sometimes extreme circumstances require extreme measures.

If you have a freezer full of food and high temps, and you can’t preserve it all fast enough..feed your neighbors. Have a big cook out and invite them..or do it from the sidewal or front yard so its open to all. Better to deed your neighbors and get to know them so you all can work as a team, than to let what you can’t use/preserve, go to waste. Your neighbors may not be as wise as you, and they’ll appreciate a meal. They may be willing to learn and work as a team. They can be resources or they can be enemies. You can help be the leadership than many of those sheep need in an emergency. Such a thing keeps peace.

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