Another Angle: Comparing COVID-19 to Other Crises
From the swivel chair by my home-office window, Tennessee looks the same as it did last week. It’s not. Neither is your state. Neither is your country. You don’t need me to tell you that.
If you’re an EMS provider, COVID-19 probably isn’t the first major challenge you’ve faced. Let’s build on your experience and share some of mine: seven national emergencies in 67 years of mostly tranquil living.
Polio—Even as Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for this crippling disease, terrifying photos of hospital wards crammed with iron lungs were reminders of the half-million people—many of them children—killed or disabled annually by polio from 1940 through the early ’50s.
The Cuban missile crisis—If you grew up after mutually assured destruction became a reality, this 1962 near-disaster was probably the scariest. We didn’t even know it was happening until eight days after the missiles were discovered. That’s when President John F. Kennedy promised, in an 18-minute televised address, that no nuclear warheads would remain in Cuba. As the two sides postured in advance of a peaceful resolution, I helped my parents carry water and canned goods to our cellar.
Gasoline shortages of the ’70s—I’m a bit embarrassed to include a crisis that sounds more like an inconvenience, but it was the first exposure to government rationing for many of us. Being restricted to even or odd refueling days and having to wait in long lines for gas were major blows to our national sense of entitlement.
The 1981 air traffic controllers strike—Imagine jetliners competing for airspace over American cities without reliable guidance from the ground. That was our fear for months after August 5, 1981, when President Ronald Reagan began firing 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers. Thanks to supervisors, trainees, and military personnel who filled expanded roles during the ensuing years of catch-up, there were no major aviation accidents directly attributed to system shortages.
The first Gulf War—It’s easy to forget how uncertain the outcome was before the fighting started. Would Saddam Hussein and his army of 750,000 fanatics prevail in the upcoming “mother of all battles”? We got our answer on day one of this 1991 conflict.
9/11—I think we can skip this summary.
The subprime mortgage crunch—Even if you didn’t own real estate, 2007–2009 was a horrible time for most investors. Stock prices and interest rates fell suddenly, costing many of us savings and income. The Fed’s bailout of financial institutions rescued our economy but left a bill still to be paid.
Can today’s leaders apply lessons from the above to COVID-19? I think so.
- Plan for the worst;
- Recognize critical decision points;
- Cultivate the public’s remarkable resilience with clear communication and prompt action.
For caregivers I see a simpler message: Hang in there. Be a source of hope. You are the arbiters of what is to come.
Mike Rubin is a paramedic in Nashville and member of EMS World’s editorial advisory board. Contact him at mgr22@prodigy.net.
