As parts of the U.S. head into a coronavirus lockdown, it's unclear how long these severe restrictions will last. Only one thing is certain: The nation's COVID-19 crisis will be as bad as we let it get.
Scientists, government officials, historians and cultural observers say the size and duration of the outbreak will depend on our collective actions over the next few weeks and months. The promising news, they say, is that we have the power to not just resist, but also to come together as a country in a way reminiscent of World War II.
Isolation — in form of the growing number of city- and county-mandated orders to shelter in place with the exception of trips out to buy necessities — is critical to bringing this outbreak to an end. There are no vaccines or treatments yet, so staying clear of each other is key to flattening the pandemic's contagion curve.
A hint at how long this all might last comes from China. In Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak some two and a half months ago, life is slowly returning to normal as reports of new COVID-19 cases slow. That could signal an abatement there by late May.
But Italy offers a more harrowing and urgent marker. Experts say that much like the U.S. government’s lagged response to the virus when it first appeared, Italian officials initially responded with less urgency than Asian nations such as South Korea and Singapore.
With Italy hit hardest in Europe by COVID-19, 31,000 cases and more than 2,500 deaths in a country of 60 million. AYouTube video gone viral features Italians giving themselves “from 10 days ago” advice. Virtually all the messages are identical: shame on me for initially not taking this seriously enough.