Over the past week, The White House has faced a lot of criticism for its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States. On Thursday, President Trump challenged the the 3.4 percent death rate provided by the World Health Organization, saying: "Well, I think the 3.4 percent is really a false number," and he eventually concluded it was "way under 1 percent." Last week, he called the virus a hoax crafted to harm his re-election prospects. The government's response has also been criticized for a lack of coronavirus test kits in hospitals across the nation. This is all happening while coronavirus cases continue to rise in the United States. According to the New York Times, there have been over 250 confirmed cases of coronavirus nationwide. Washington State, New York, and California are among the states which are reporting the most cases. Washington State, in particular, has reported 14 deaths from the virus, causing The University of Washington to cancel physical classes, instead resorting to digital means. If that weren't enough, community spreading is beginning in many of those same western states, with many speculating that mild cases are dangerously going undetected. Understandably, the public is becoming increasingly worried about the exponential spread of the virus in the United States. Particularly, scientists and health officials are concerned about the government's response to the virus. They have said they believe people will not take the virus seriously enough due to Trump's responses, leading to lenient measures and more infections. Others are worried that Trump's regular dismissal of science, such as ignoring warnings about the climate crisis and misinterpreting the cause of California's wildfires, will continue. The White House has disputed these claims and insisted that they are both following the science and holding meetings every day with prominent health officials. Since the story of coronavirus has already changed so much in the past month, one can only imagine what it will be like in the future. Use both this article (for disease updates) and this article to answer the following questions.
1. How do you think the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. will continue to progress? Do you think it will become as bad as it is in China? Why or why not?
2. Since coronavirus is progressing in the U.S., what do you think should be done to help stop infections? What would you do if you were in charge?
3. What do you think about The White House's response to the outbreak? Do you think their response to coronavirus is adequate? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever felt as though you were responsible for something that you were unfit to handle?
