Free Republic

President Donald Trump is hinting at a second task force responsible for getting Americans back to work. Appoint it now, Mr. President. Don't wait until the virus peaks. This second task force should prepare the country to reopen, with new tools to fight the virus. The president's top epidemiologist, the esteemed Anthony Fauci, insists "the best tool we have" is "physical separation." But mandating that people stay home is costing Americans their jobs and will force businesses into bankruptcy. The nation needs an alternative strategy. A chorus of government health officials and academics, like Harvard's Marc Lipsitch, want the shutdown...

The first nine coronavirus deaths in the U.S. show the biggest risks are not traveling internationally, riding mass transit or attending a crowded event. The most dangerous place to be is in a rehab or nursing home. The second-most dangerous is a hospital. Five residents of the Life Care Center, a nursing facility in Kirkland, Washington, have died, and some 50 other residents and staff members there reportedly have coronavirus symptoms. Be on the alert for more deadly outbreaks in nursing homes wherever coronavirus, now dubbed COVID-19, spreads. Nursing homes are infection cauldrons. Most nursing facilities ignore precautions like separating...

There's good news and bad news about Coronavirus. First, there's reason for optimism. The virus struck only four months ago, yet we already know its genetic features. It took scientists years to get that far with HIV/AIDS. Antiviral drugs are in development, and a vaccine could be available within 18 months. The pace of scientific progress is breathtaking. So is human ingenuity. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will soon offer home coronavirus testing kits, starting in the hard-hit Seattle area. Anyone who's worried can fill out an online questionnaire, receive a nasal swab kit in the mail, use it...

With outbreaks raging in Italy, Iran, South Korea and other countries, U.S. authorities now predict coronavirus will strike Americans here, causing "significant disruptions to our lives." The warning came from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official Nancy Messonnier at a Tuesday briefing. If the virus -- now dubbed COVID-19 -- starts to infect large numbers of people inside the U.S., here's what you need to know. Is the virus spreading here now? The only known U.S. cases are travelers to China, their spouses and cruise ship passengers. But people carrying the virus entered the U.S. before the Trump administration...