The U.S. Federal Response to COVID-19 During the First 3 Months of the Outbreak: Was an Evidence-Based Approach an Option?

Abstract

This essay is a commentary on the U.S. Federal government response to the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak. The focus is on the response of the Trump Administration during the first 3 months of the outbreak, specifically the period between January 20, 2020, and May 15, 2020. The following question is addressed: To what extent was the strategy implemented by the U.S. federal government guided by evidence-based decisions? While nobody was a COVID-19 expert at the beginning of the outbreak, this being a novel virus, the essay argues that the U.S. federal government failed to use evidence from previous pandemics and natural disasters and from the experience of other countries. In addition, the essay warns of the current lack of consistency in following data generated by U.S. agencies and institutions.