Coronavirus solution must focus on saving lives and rescuing economy

The United States is in a crisis that we will probably never see again in our lifetimes. Millions have become unemployed, wondering when their next paychecks will come. Millions more have been quarantined in their homes, sheltering in place with no certain end in sight. Thousands of businesses have closed, perhaps never opening their doors again. Years of hard work toward building dreams will be crushed in many households.

The coronavirus has robbed tens of thousands of their health and millions more of their livelihoods, their schooling, and their daily freedoms across the country. Worst of all, of course, the coronavirus has now robbed more than a thousand of their lives here at home. Our leaders have taken many key measures at the federal, state, and local levels to assist in curbing the spread of the deadly infection and flattening the curve. Social distancing has played a major role in the efforts across our communities.

But is there an end in sight? What are the next steps in this crisis? Will the solution turn out to be worse than the problem itself? History has shown government solutions can often lead to larger problems. From prohibition leading to the rise of organized crime to boar bounties leading to the rise of boar populations, federal, state, and local governments repeatedly fall short of successfully accomplishing their public policy goals.

While Democrats in Washington were fighting to include unrelated and unnecessary measures into the coronavirus relief legislation, it became clearer than ever that Americans cannot count on the government alone to support them during this crisis period. Even with the coronavirus relief checks on the way to a majority of households across the country in the coming weeks, it is unlikely these households can maintain status quo if states extend stay at home orders for another month or more.

The economic damage we would likely see with continuing such orders would be catastrophic. Officials are warning that the unemployment rate could hit 30 percent in the coming months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. On top of such negative economic effects, we could also see negative mental health effects as people are forced to continue to isolate themselves and it becomes more difficult to receive treatment.

President Trump faced backlash when he told the country that he was hopeful to have Americans back to work by Easter. But many of those people criticizing him, of course, ignored his next statement when he assured Americans that each decision his administration makes in this crisis will be grounded solely in the health and safety of citizens.

With health and safety in mind, it is essential that Americans go back to work as soon as possible. We simply cannot afford the side effects of the solution to outweigh the problem. The solution should not only take into account the coronavirus but also the economic hardship that is certain to come for millions. We need a solution that protects as many Americans as possible from the coronavirus and protects the country from a complete economic downfall that could take generations to recover from.

Madison Gesiotto is an attorney who serves with the advisory board of the Donald Trump campaign. You can follow her on Twitter @MadisonGesiotto.