Dr. Michael Osterholm, the coronavirus advisor to U.S. president-elect Joe Biden, says that a lockdown of 4 to 6 weeks will help control the pandemic and revive the economy, according to CNBC. Osterholm believes the country is moving towards “COVID hell” following growing U.S. cases as more people are becoming tired of wearing masks and social distancing resulting in “pandemic fatigue.”
- Osterholm says that U.S. healthcare is overwhelmed by rising cases and deaths of COVID-19, and a lockdown would control the virus before the vaccine is rolled out.
- The U.S. government could borrow enough money to pay for a package that would cover lost income for individuals and entities during the shutdown- Osterholm.
- Osterholm says that to be effective, the lockdown should be as strict and comprehensive as possible, citing the examples of New Zealand, Australia, and some parts of Asia which have brought cases down.
- Osterholm, the director of the Center of Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, was appointed to Biden’s 12-member COVID advisory board on Monday.
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