Sources

Code

Category

Theme

Stuart (2020) reported President Trump when asked about any worries about Corona Virus Pandemic on Jan. 22 “No not at all” “And, we’re, we have it totally under control,” Trump Said “it’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine”.

Also, in late February, Trump continued on Feb. 26: “Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people

remains very low. … When you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero. That’s a pretty good job we’ve done.” On Feb 28: “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”

Goldstein et al. (2020) reported the Rose Garden news conference when the government announce partnering with private companies to set up drive through corona virus testing sites. President Trump said the push to let people get tested from their own cars would involve a new Google website to advise consumers about whether they should get tested and where, and big-box companies and drugstores that would host drive -through testing sites in their in their store parking lots. States and federal health workers would staff the sites and perform the testing, officials said. However, several key participants said the administration was overstating the plans, including its scope, timetable and other aspects.

Fong (2020) reported President Trump press conference announced “New partnership with private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for coronavirus. We want to make sure that those who need a test can get a test very safely, quickly, and conveniently.”

Jones (2020) reported what President Trump said during the Press Conference to announce a national state of emergency on

coronavirus. Trump said “I don’t take responsibility at all”. He also lavished praises on Swiss drug maker Roche which received n FDA patent for a COVID-19 test.

Bohn (2020) reported how Google debunked President conference that said Google was building a website that will notify where to get coronavirus test. Debbie Birx, the White House corona virus response coordinator, showed a flowchart that explained the proposed functionality of the website. However, nobody from Alphabet or Google spoke at the event, but after an hour after the event, Google released a statement on twitter saying Google is not building a nationwide coronavirus screening website, and “we are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing. Verily is in early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time.”

Down played the effects of Corona Virus/exaggerated plans and successes.

Complacency

Political gain/re-election.

Stuart (2020) reported the United States initial over-reliance on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration was to block private testing. Bloomberg details how the feds failed to take advantage of the private sector.

Singer (2020) reported what Jeffrey A. Singer, general surgeon described the chaos and disorganization that characterized the Corona Virus testing in United States due to bureaucracy. He explained that rigid federal regulatory regime fails to make use of the innovation, flexibility and speed of the private sector is largely to blame.

Court (2020) reported that Washington missed an early opportunity to leverage the resources of the private sector. Instead, health authorities were left with a diagnostic tool developed by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention that ran into weeks of problems, hobbling efforts to track and control the virus at a time when it might have been contained.

Burton (2020) reported Dr. Stephen Hahn of the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner announced the flexible regulatory approach to allow more private companies to conduct more test without prior approval.

Coombs (2020) reported the confusion that followed the government announcing that private labs to start testing for coronavirus, prompting concerns about cost and insurance co-pays.

Pollitz (2020) reported the surprise medical bills that might occur if patients seek testing in an emergency room, even at in-network emergency facility if physicians who work there might not be in-network, and out-of-network commercial lab despite the Congress passing the families first coronavirus Response Act which made testing available via public health departments and private laboratories.

Diamond (2020) reported President Trump Rose Garden announcement on march 13 when he acknowledged that the initiative to increase testing was disappointing at the start, but he wants to preview a network of drive-thru tests in places like Walmart parking lots “The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed.”

Wamsley (2020) reported that the U.S government has been sharply criticized for its slow response to the virus, particularly when it

comes to testing. Hence, the Trump administration announced a

series of measures intended to speed testing by appointing a new federal coordinator to oversee testing and funding.

Stebbins and Comen (2020) reported that the coronavirus pandemic has caught the govt unprepared and led to the government to enlist the private sector for help.

Ortega et al. (2020) reported weeks long coronavirus testing delay that could have been avoided had the federal agencies fully enacted their own plan to ramp up testing during a national health crisis. Like, The CDC in February releasing a flawed test which took weeks to rectify, failed to use the big commercial labs, and private labs were prevented from conducting their own tests.

Pasternack (2020) also attested to the strategic missteps and the botched rollout of the coronavirus testing. In February, U.S faces an

array of problems, including a troublesome rollout of supplies and complex patchwork of rules about how these supplies can be used.

Rigid governmental regulation.

Disorganized

Incompetence