The Trump Administration’s rapid response to the Coronavirus threat was led by National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow, who announced on Tuesday that the COVID-19 epidemic has been “contained” in the United States. “We have contained this, I won’t say airtight but pretty close to airtight,” he diagnosed on CNBC. Mr. Kudlow’s concern, like that of his master, Donald Trump, was with one major disease symptom, a severe decline in the Dow Jones Index.
Larry Kudlow, while not a physician, is as qualified to advise on the disease epidemic as he is to be National Economic Council Director. He isn’t an economist either, and his financial prognoses are consistently wrong. In the case of the COVID-19 epidemic, epidemiologists at the CDC warn that its spread in the US is imminent. “It’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness,”said National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Director Dr. Nancy Messonnier.
More:
“Kudlow claims coronavirus has been contained: ‘It’s pretty close to air-tight,'” Justin Wise, The Hill
“Kudlow Mischaracterized WHO Director While Comforting Investors About Coronavirus,” Matt Shuham, TalkingPointsMemo
“Americans should prepare for coronavirus crisis in U.S., CDC says,” Erika Edwards, NBC News
“Trump reportedly furious about stock market plunging on coronavirus fears,” Pippa Stevens, MSN
“Trump’s no stranger to misinformation. But with the coronavirus, experts say that’s dangerous.” Megan Thielking, STAT
Related:
“Covid-19 Will Mark the End of Affluence Politics,” Matt Stoller, Wired
“Former Fed chair warns coronavirus could throw the US into recession,” Marty Johnson, The Hill
Updates:
“Coronavirus fears trigger biggest one-day fall on US stock market,” Rob Davies, Richard Partington, and Graeme Wearden, The Guardian
“Dow Jones has worst week since 2008 financial crisis,” Don Jacobson and Danielle Haynes
UPI
“Stock markets are headed for a 40 percent plunge, says economist who predicted financial crisis,” Summer Meza, The Week
“Global stock markets have lost $6 trillion in value in six days,” Maggie Fitzgerald, CNBC
“Trump officials discuss tax cuts, other emergency measures in hopes of tackling coronavirus fallout,” Jeff Stein and Ashley Parker, Washington Post
“Only Doctors Can Save the Markets From the Coronavirus,” Binyamin Appelbaum, New York Times
“Kudlow: Coronavirus response will boost Trump’s 2020 campaign,” Niels Lesniewski, Roll Call
“Kudlow defends claiming U.S. had coronavirus ‘contained’ in February,” Jacob Knutson, Axios
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Tags: Coronavirus, COVID-19, disease, Doctor Kuddles, epidemics, epidemiology, illness, Larry Kudlow, pandemic threat, public health, public health threats
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