Dr Jha: Delay in presidential transition will cost lives amid COVID-19

Brown University School of Public Health Dean Dr Ashish Jha continues to sound the alarm over President Donald Trump’s record of inaction in a cooperative presidential transition as the country experiences a surge rapid COVID-19.

Jha, in a Tweeter Sunday wrote that while he’s optimistic about the timing of a vaccine rollout, his outlook rests on an “effective transition” from the Trump administration to that of President-elect Joe Biden.

The current delay as Trump continues to challenge the election results, Jha said, is “unacceptable” and will result in a cost “measured in lives lost.” [and] livelihoods ”because of the impact they will have on vaccine distribution.

I am optimistic about the vaccine schedule

But subject to an effective transition from Trump to Biden

The current delay is unacceptable

Slow down generalized vaccinations

The cost will be measured in lives lost, in livelihoods

My piece on which model we should follow https://t.co/rhrjziNnXa

– Ashish K. Jha (ashishkjha) November 22, 2020

The remarks came a day before a third pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, announced that it had developed a vaccine that is up to 90% effective after Moderna, Inc. and Cambridge-based Pfizer both revealed that their own vaccines have been shown to be very effective.

But Jha, since the days after Biden suppressed election victory earlier this month, has maintained a smooth transfer of a presidency from Trump to Biden will be crucial in how the country handles an accelerating push. quickly this winter.

On Saturday, the country recorded its 12 millionth case – up from 11 million a few days earlier.

“In the midst of a growing pandemic, calling the next three months of our government a ‘lame duck’ period is a fatal mistake,” Jha wrote in an opinion piece published Nov. 9 by NBC News. He shared the article on social media on Sunday. “The consequences of the decisions made by January 20 – on infections, hospitalizations and deaths – will shape our nation for years to come. A peaceful, transparent, efficient and urgent transition, specifically focused on stopping the spread of COVID-19, could save tens of thousands of lives.

There is precedent for presidents – especially those of opposing parties – working together within the three-month window during times of national difficulty, he noted. Jha spoke of the transition from former President George W. Bush to then-President-elect Barack Obama after the 2008 election as the country reeled from the Great Recession.

“Meanwhile, Bush has prioritized national interests over the partisan tally, proactively contacting the Obama team to establish a council to coordinate the transfer of his administration and expedite the appointments of key officials in the next. administration, ”Jha wrote.

The two administrations worked closely to develop the $ 700 billion stimulus package known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, with Bush even calling on Congress to release a second round of funding for the initiative to the days. pressing Obama before his inauguration.

While Jha noted that the current presidential transition is different, the American people “should demand that the two sides find a way forward together,” regardless of who they voted for.

The Trump administration is granting Biden’s team access to all federal data collected regarding the virus over the past nine months, as well as “ equal time to communicate with Biden. the American public about the pandemic and our national response, ”Jha wrote.

“In particular, Trump should allow career scientists in the federal government and scientists advising Biden’s team to take the lead in communicating about infections and the public health measures needed to prevent them,” Jha wrote.

Further, Jha proposes that the Trump administration seek to “collaborate and compromise” with the incoming administration, which will have to take responsibility for the distribution of vaccines.

“America is already facing a fierce battle against a pandemic that is raging uncontrollably,” he wrote. “We cannot afford more self-inflicted injuries. If we lose the next three months to petty partisan bickering and stone barriers, tens of thousands of Americans will needlessly die. There is not a minute to lose.

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Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.