Trump Did Nothing for Two Months? - February 2020 (Updated to fix broken links, 2023)
I wrote what follows in summer 2020. It's not exhaustive, and I thought the its usefulness passed by early 2021. Consequently, I have not check for broken links until recently, when I learned that a number of CDC and White House articles had been deleted or archived. Also recently, I have learned that the "Trump Did Nothing" myth is still believed and circulating. I light of this, I have checked all the links for the events I cited, replaced all but one broken link, and added a few to some events for good measure.
I'm not campaigning for Trump, just providing facts to counter a partisan myth.
Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Lisa Roberts claimed: "Trump wasted more than two months of precious time downplaying the threat of this crisis ...",
https://www.mainedems.org/media/new-trump-wasted-two-months-coronavirus-response-does-senator-collins-still-think-he-did-lot . While some of the criticism claiming two months wasted focuses on masks, other PPE, and ventilators - items hospitals should have, and of which city, county, and state health commissions should have emergency supplies stockpiled, Roberts' claim is far more broad. She claimed that two months - January and February - were "wasted". The specific issue of masks, other PPE, and ventilators will be addressed elsewhere. The proper focus at first was on things that are the immediate responsibilities of the US government: dealings with foreign nations and matters handled by various Federal agencies such as the FDA, CDC, and NIH. So, what of the general, "Trump wasted two months," claim? What did Trump do in January with regard to what came to be called Covid-19?
First, the context in which Trump and his Administration were acting in January, 2020:
* Until January 20, 2020, China and the "scientists" at the World Health Organization assured the world that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of Covid-19,
https://www.who.int/csr/don/14-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-thailand-ex-china/en/ ,
http://wjw.wuhan.gov.cn/front/web/showDetail/2020012009077 (Chinese language),
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/human-human-transmission-coronavirus-reported-china/story?id=68403105 ;
* The first US case of Covid-19 was confirmed on January 20, 2020, and by February 29th a total of 68 cases had been confirmed in the US,
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/ , "Total Coronavirus Cases in the United States" graph.
Here are some of the actions of the Trump Administration in February:
February 3, 2020 - CDC had a team ready to travel to China;
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-who-mission-idUSKBN1ZX2BVFebruary 4, 2020 - HHS, Regeneron Collaborate to Develop 2019-nCoV Treatment;
https://investor.regeneron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/regeneron-announces-expanded-collaboration-hhs-develop-antibodyFebruary 6, 2020 - Shipping of CDC 2019 coronavirus test kits begins;
https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.htmlFebruary 11, 2020 - HHS expands partnership with Janssen Research & Development for vaccine development;
https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/44272-hhs-expands-partnership-with-janssen-research-development-for-research-share-into-covid-19-vaccine/ ,
https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-announces-collaboration-with-u-s-department-of-health-human-services-to-accelerate-development-of-a-potential-novel-coronavirus-vaccineFebruary 18, 2020 - HHS to work with Sanofi Pasteur to develop coronavirus vaccine and treatment;
https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/18/sanofi-announces-it-will-work-with-hhs-to-develop-coronavirus-vaccine/ ,
https://www.news.sanofi.us/2020-02-18-Sanofi-joins-forces-with-U-S-Department-of-Health-and-Human-Services-to-advance-a-novel-coronavirus-vaccineFebruary 25, 2020 - An NIH clinical trial of Remdesivir begun; at University of Nebraska Medical Center,
https://www.unmc.edu/newsroom/2020/02/25/nih-clinical-trial-of-remdesivir-to-treat-covid-19-begins/ ,
https://www.ketv.com/article/clinical-trials-for-first-drug-to-treat-coronavirus-begin-at-university-of-nebraska-medical-center-covid/31099043February 29, 2020 - Testing labs allowed to use tests whose FDA Emergency Use Authorization requests are still pending;
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-issues-new-policy-help-expedite-availability-diagnosticsFebruary 29, 2020 - Level 4 travel advisory to Italy, South Korea;
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/02/29/coronavirus-trump-adds-travel-restrictions-italy-south-korea/4914822002/February 29, 2020 - Iran travel ban announced;
https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/29/trump-administration-expands-coronavirus-travel-ban-to-include-iran/
