We can’t afford to put profits over public health

In times of crisis, we need a leader who will keep us informed, and ultimately safe. Unfortunately, we’re not seeing that from President Donald Trump as the coronavirus expands around the world. Public health experts warn that the U.S. is woefully unprepared to handle the growing crisis. They say it is almost certain that the potentially deadly disease will expand into the U.S. They are alarmed after someone in California contracted the coronavirus, even though they had not traveled to China, highlighting the uncertainty over how this new virus is even spread. But Trump continues to downplay the growing the threat. He insists things are under control and even suggested things will get better when the weather warms. Trump has tried to downplay the threat of the virus impacting everyday Americans, and is said to be frustrated the fear is leading to huge declines on the stock market. The Dow has already lost all of its gains for the year as fears of the virus mount. We’d all like to see our 401K’s grow, but that can’t be the focus right now. We can’t put profits over public health. Now is the time to gather the top experts, and speak with one voice to keep the public informed of what they can do to stop the spread. It is not time to say everything is fine because we’re afraid we may see our investment portfolios shrink.