Editorial, Opinion Pieces Discuss Various Issues Related To COVID-19

Washington Post: Iran’s reaction to coronavirus has become a danger for the world
Editorial Board

“The coronavirus poses a test for any government, challenging the ability of leaders to carry out necessary countermeasures while maintaining public trust. In China, trust wasn’t a high priority, but once the country swung into action, the containment effort was massive. Iran presents a different and worrying scenario: a government in denial, a people cynical and distrustful, and a burgeoning infection. Strictly from a health point of view, Iran has become a dangerous epicenter for covid-19, a hazard not only for its population but also the world. … The strict sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran have been severely crimping its economy, and the outbreak ought to lead U.S. officials to look for ways to extend humanitarian relief and expertise in fighting the disease…” (3/3).

Bloomberg: Bill Gates Is Really Worried About the Coronavirus. Here’s Why.
Tyler Cowen, Bloomberg Opinion columnist, professor at George Mason University, writer for Marginal Revolution, and author (3/3).

CNN: The way we talk about coronavirus matters
Kari Nixon, assistant professor at Whitworth University and author (3/3).

CNN: I’m an emergency doctor. I expect to get coronavirus
James Phillips, assistant professor at the George Washington University (GWU) and chief of the Section of Disaster and Operational Medicine at GWU (3/3).

Foreign Affairs: Pandemic Disease Is a Threat to National Security
Lisa Monaco, assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism from 2013 to 2017 (3/3).

Foreign Affairs: Can North Korea Cope With the Coronavirus?
Sue Mi Terry, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (3/3).

Foreign Policy: As Coronavirus Spreads, Iranian Doctors Fear the Worst
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of Bourse & Bazaar, and Abbas Kebriaeezadeh, professor at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, vice chair of the Iranian Pharmaceutical Industries Syndicate, and chair of Baran Chemical and Pharmaceutical Company (3/3).

The Hill: Press: Trump flunks public health leadership test
Bill Press, host of ‘The Bill Press Pod’ and author (3/3).

MedPage Today: Coronavirus: Please, Officialdom, Stop Telling Us to Calm Down
John Gever, managing editor at MedPage Today (3/3).

Nature: Extended U.S. travel ban harms global science
Nnaemeka Ndodo, chief molecular bioengineer at the National Reference Laboratory for Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control (3/3).

Newsweek: Robert Reich: There Has Never Been a President Less Suited for Handling an Epidemic Than Donald Trump
Robert Reich, Newsweek columnist and chancellor’s professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley (3/3).

New York Times: Coronavirus Is What You Get When You Ignore Science
Farhad Manjoo, opinion columnist at the New York Times (3/4).

POLITICO: Why Iran Is Such a Coronavirus Threat
Amir A. Afkhami, associate professor at George Washington University and author (3/3).

Project Syndicate: The Fiscal Fight Against COVID-19
Koichi Hamada, professor emeritus at Yale University and special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (3/3).

USA TODAY: To fight the coronavirus, wash your hands and support clean water access around the world
Susan K. Barnett, opinion contributor (3/4).

Washington Post: What the fight against Ebola can teach us about beating the coronavirus
Blair Glencorse, executive director of the Accountability Lab (3/3).

Washington Post: The government should cover coronavirus testing. And conservatives should support it.
Megan McArdle, columnist at the Washington Post and author (3/3).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

KFF Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KFF | twitter.com/kff

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.