Essay on Trump's Chaotic Response to COVID-19: Narcissistic Psychopath or Misjudgment?

The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn several concerns from various countries across the world. For instance, the reaction of US President Trump has drawn particular concerns regarding his perception of the pandemic (Tanne et al., 6 a). Many analysts believe that Trump's chaotic handling of the coronavirus, as well as negligence, shows his narcissistic psychopath. This paper shall analyze the various issues surrounding Trump's reactions to the COVID-19 as reported by various international media centers, including the New York Times and CNN.

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Early January 2020, US President Donald Trump had issued a warning regarding the potential effects of the novel coronavirus on the economy as well as the lives of the Americans. For instance, he had postulated that the infection was likely to kill thousands of Americans as well as significantly derail the US economy unless stern measures were taken by both the federal as well as state governments (Tanne et al., 16 a). However, although the president had made such early predictions regarding the coronavirus pandemic, little intervention measures were put in place in advance to curb its negative impacts.

When the virus started killing Americans in large numbers, President Trump argued that the novel coronavirus had originated from the Wuhan lab and even reiterated his belief that it had originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology labs when asked at a press interview. However, he added that the intelligence community would delve into understanding whether the outbreak originated from contact with infected animals or the laboratory accident in Wuhan. Such comments from the US president came just soon after the global coronavirus infections had only reached 3.25million, with a third of this number originating from the United States.

One of the most surprising reactions of President Trump was the proposed adoption of conventional means in the treatment of global pandemic. He had proposed the unusual mechanisms for treatment if the novel coronavirus through methods such as the injections with disinfectants as well as the use of ultraviolet radiation. Such a recommendation had come just a few days after the head of the US Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, who had postulated that the increased temperature and humidity were unfavorable for the survival of the virus (Tanne et al., 8b). As such, he argued that solar light plays a significant role in killing the viruses both in the air as well on various surfaces.

President Trump argued that injecting disinfectants could knock the virus out in minutes. He later admitted his prior recommendation of the adoption of disinfectant was sarcastic. However, he revealed that the physicians and the healthcare coordinators in the US were looking for avenues of integrating the use of disinfectants into the management of the novel coronavirus.

It is also interesting that the US president encouraged the adoption of anti-malaria drugs. As such, he pressured the federal governments and the various health officials to promote the adoption of a combination of drugs such as the hydro chloroquine and azithromycin in the treatment of the global pandemic. By March 2020, the president had invested heavily in the acquisition of such drugs to protect the Americans from the novel coronavirus (Tanne et al., 8 a).

However, various healthcare professionals such as The Director for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases had warned on the possible effects of the adoption of such antimalarial drugs before the results of some rigorous trials had been obtained from the positive patients. It was fascinating that the president, as well as his allies, had congratulated themselves for having been among the first leaders across the globe to test and postulate the effects of coronavirus.

Trump had urged the Americans to adopt the little-studied antimalarial drugs despite the severe likely side effects as well as the inadequate data regarding the efficacy and safety in the treatment of the coronavirus. The US media has also blamed President Donald Trump for shortages of personal protective equipment as well as the scarcity of ventilators. Amidst various efforts of the scientists to fight the pandemic, the US president continually promised the anecdotal adoption of hydroxychloroquine (Tanne et al., 7 a). The drug proposed by the president has been linked with the treatment of arthritis, lupus as well as malaria.

It is important to note that the COVID-19 pandemic has become the central issue of Trump's re-election campaign, for he has repeatedly threatened to retaliate against Beijing for having a hand in the development and the spread of the global pandemic. Even without some evidence, the president had held the belief that COVID-19 had originated from Wuhan China (Tanne et al., 6 a). However, the World Health Organization's branch in China had requested that the Chinese government need to join in the investigations on the origin of the pandemic.

However, President Trump had made particular calls to the Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta, Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari, as well as the South Africa's Ramaphosa, to pledge the US support to the fight against the novel coronavirus within the countries.

Conclusion

The coronavirus pandemic has drawn increasing attention across the world; the United States of America is not and exception. Trump's reaction to the novel coronavirus has been diverse since the discovery and the genesis of the spread into other parts of the world from Wuhan China. The president had begun by warning the Americans of the likely impacts of the pandemic on the economy as well as the general wellbeing of the Americans.

However, he had made only little efforts to curb the likely impacts of the infections, not until the infection started killing Americans in thousands. He later made provocative statements during the press briefings regarding the possible treatment methods of the virus. For instance, he recommended the use of radiations as well as detergents to treat the disease as well as prevent its fatal effects to the Americans.

Even though the WHO has not investigated the various logs that had been used in the manufacture of viruses in China, researchers believe that Covid-19 was not a manufactured virus. The researchers believe that even though the origin of the disease was in Wuhan China, there is limited evidence to indicate that the virus was naturally occurring. The scientists further believe that the virus was naturally occurring in the bats and are investigating the various avenues through which the virus could have used to enter the human blood system.

Even without some evidence, the president had held the belief that COVID-19 had originated from Wuhan China. However, the World Health Organization's branch in China had requested that the Chinese government need to join in the investigations on the origin of the pandemic.

Works Cited

Tanne, Janice Hopkins, et al. "Covid-19: how doctors and healthcare systems are tackling coronavirus worldwide." Bmj 368 (2020)a. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1090

Tanne, Janice Hopkins. "Covid-19: New york city deaths pass 1000 as trump tells Americans to distance for 30 days." (2020)b. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1333