COVID-19: Thinking About Ben Franklin

When Benjamin Franklin said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” he was referring to creating a fire department to protect the people of Philadelphia rather than having to rebuild a city in the event of a catastrophic fire.  Nearly 3 centuries later, this prophetic statement has been viewed as blasphemous amidst the worst global pandemic since 1918. Instead of the U.S. making every effort to prevent/control the spread of the virus by adopting the proven methods used in 5 other countries, (limiting social gatherings, wearing masks, socially distancing), we have failed. As a result, numerous lives have been lost and continue to be placed at risk.

Whereas Ben Franklin and our Founding Fathers would have worked tirelessly to prevent/control spread of COVID-19, current pandemic messaging contains reverse logic: ‘We’re not going to control the pandemic…what we have to do is make sure that we fight it with therapeutics and vaccines“. In other words, “let the pandemic spread like wildfire and then we will try to put out the fire”. With nearly 250,000 beautiful souls lost (greater than the combined number of U.S. lives lost in WWI, Korea, Vietnam and the American Revolution), the pandemic’s fire continues its reckless and devastating path throughout our great country. Unfortunately, it is not “rounding the final turn” and its embers will continue to inflict pain on affected families years after it has been vanquished.

Even 300 years ago at a time when there were many magical thinkers, Benjamin Franklin was scientifically grounded- he was a thoughtfully lucid and logical, critical thinker. Have we reverted back to the age of magical thinking? For the sake of science and our world renowned experts, I hope not.

Michael Miller, M.D., is Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.