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By Alexander Lee

Picture Credit [New York TImes]

Nearly six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States and the world find themselves still grappling with the ongoing threat posed by this "invisible enemy." The impact has been profound, affecting not only physical health but also taking a significant toll on the economy and mental well-being.

All of this unfolds against the backdrop of a highly contentious presidential election campaign that has, in some ways, distorted the true dangers and depths of the pandemic, insinuating that COVID-19's impact was uniquely focused on the United States.

Let's be clear: COVID-19 remains a deadly and persistent global threat. The fatality rates have been staggering, and the United States has borne a significant portion of the pandemic's burden, which initially emerged in China, spread to Europe, and eventually reached American shores.

The timeline of events reveals a disturbing narrative of deception, misperception, underestimation, and then full-blown panic, a plot that, if it were a political thriller, would be deemed too far-fetched. The story begins with a deadly coronavirus emerging in late autumn in Wuhan, China. Chinese authorities engage in a classic cover-up, but COVID-19 proves more contagious than the lies of the Chinese Communist Party. The World Health Organization (WHO) becomes aware of the threat but is fed disinformation about its extent and danger. Lunar New Year celebrations serve as a vector for transmission.

In late January, while visiting Beijing, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros is still being assured that the virus is not a human-to-human transmission risk. On February 24, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi encourages tourists to enjoy Chinese New Year celebrations in San Francisco. In early March, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio advises people to continue dining out, attending Broadway shows, and enjoying life in the metropolis.

However, the week of March 9 sees a dramatic shift from false optimism to harsh reality. Schools close, initially for what was believed to be just a few weeks, and on March 11, the WHO declares a global health pandemic. Within that week, the United States is mostly locked down, and the robust American economy is put into a state of induced coma. Fear, blame, and a rising death toll become the new normal.

The death toll now stands at 187,000.

President Trump has declared, "When the China virus hit, we launched the largest national mobilization since World War II. Invoking the Defense Production Act, we produced the world's largest supply of ventilators." Nevertheless, the pandemic remains an ongoing global health emergency. Western European countries like Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France have experienced high fatality rates, often as a percentage of their populations, surpassing those of the United States. France, with a population of 65 million, has reported 40,000 deaths. The United Kingdom, with 68 million people, has lost 41,000 lives.

Some countries are now seeing a resurgence in cases, raising concerns that COVID-19 may be evolving into a more transmissible but less deadly virus. The pandemic has spread to diverse nations, including Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa.

While it appears that the United States has made progress in controlling the virus, the mainstream media continues to propagate the narrative that the Trump administration was either unaware, indifferent, or incompetent in handling this once-in-a-century pandemic. Mistakes were undoubtedly made, but many of them stemmed from early misleading reports from the WHO and the CDC.

The incessant blame game, amplified by social media and exacerbated by polarized discourse, sets the tone for an election season that often feels like a schoolyard brawl.

New York State, with 33,000 fatalities, has the highest death toll in the nation, with New York City bearing the brunt of both the human toll and economic fallout. The city, once a vibrant hub, is only tentatively emerging from lockdown. Many businesses remain shuttered, some victims of the looting that swept through the city in June, an episode that went largely underreported. Restaurants, the lifeblood of small businesses, are severely restricted and still prohibited from offering indoor dining. One-size-fits-all regulations are hampering commerce across the board.

Many of the iconic establishments in Manhattan's Upper East Side are either closed or on the brink of shuttering. A significant number of moving trucks are spotted on Park Avenue and other upscale locations. The writing on the wall is clear: high taxes, rising lawlessness, and a return to the 1970s atmosphere have come to define the Big Apple. COVID-19 served as a tipping point.

As we transition from quarantine and mask-wearing to vaccine distribution, the mainstream media's blame game is likely to persist.

​Reporter Alexander Lee alexanderlee_24@newsyn.co.kr​