Harvard public health experts say the White House plan to open up the US is 'thoughtful' but critically undermined by a lack of widespread testing for COVID-19

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

• Public health experts at Harvard University said the White House plan for reopening the country ⁠— something it cannot do without the cooperation of state and local governments ⁠— was thoughtful, but also a display of wishful thinking.
• "The glaring problem with it remains... the issue with testing," said William Hanage, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
• To be able to assess the wisdom of relaxing social-distancing measures, public health officials need to be able to test not only those exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 but those who may appear perfectly fine.
• "In a way, this is wishful thinking," said Barry R. Bloom, Ph.D., a professor of public health at Harvard, "but it is absolutely essential."
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The White House roadmap for returning the US to business as usual is far more qualified and nuanced than statements from President Donald Trump would suggest, but public health experts said Thursday that it is likely still too optimistic so long as testing for COVID-19 remains far from widespread.

"The glaring problem with it remains... the issue with testing," said William Hanage, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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