US social distancing guidelines would be better than “piecemeal approach,” doctor says
Dr. Leana Wen, former health commissioner for the city of Baltimore, said the United States’ “piecemeal approach” to social distancing is only delaying Americans getting back to normal.
Right now, states, counties and cities are deciding their own social distancing guidelines. Wen said a national response would be better.
“It is important to mention that the longer we have this piecemeal approach, the longer it will take for all of us to get back to normal,” Wen said, adding, “But the sooner we can get everything under control and having national coordinated response, the better it is.”
Wen said, “most people would speculate that we need at least 8 to 10 weeks of social distancing for this to work at all.”
“We also need the federal government to do a lot more, too. Because that rationing of ventilators, the rationing of supplies, that is also going to be what leads to unnecessary deaths. And every day that we waste is one more day that we could have been saving people instead,” Wen added.
