Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2020

That reality made it hard to treat patients effectively, but as doctors learned more, they have had some success in the inpatient setting. “We still don’t know the best treatment protocols,” Jenkins said, “but the combination of plasma, steroids, Remdesivir, and proning (turning a patient on their stomach with their chest and face down) seems to help.” Jenkins notes that even after a late start, identifying a useful treatment regimen has helped the United States maintain a lower death per capita than many places in the world. Many public figures see a vaccine as the ultimate solution, but Jenkins warns that there are risks involved. “Historically, the fastest we’ve seen a vaccine go to market is five years,” he said. “We are trying to do this one in a few months. Even though the FDA says they won’t lower their safety standards, there is some question as to whether it will be 100% safe.” Depending on how long it takes to scale up manufacturing, a vaccine may not be available to the general public until next summer or fall. Wh e n P r e s i d e n t T r u m p contracted the coronavirus, he received an antibody cocktail, Regeneron, which was not widely known. What are the implications of such treatments for the general public? “There are still lots of experimental therapies with limited data,” Jenkins said. “Regeneron is something that is hard to access without an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or approved indication from the FDA.” The President also was treated with zinc, vitamin D, and famotidine, “all of which currently lack well-designed studies to back any perceived efficacy behind their use,” said Jenkins. “The President was able to receive all sorts of experimental and theoretical products because of his position.” Whatever may happen in terms of treatment or vaccines, Jenkins encourages Christians to love their neighbors by sacrificing comfort for the safety of others. “I believe the evidence currently supports masks and distancing,” Jenkins said. “Even if you aren’t on board with these sorts of things, we need to make sure that we are treating others with love and respect. People are paying close attention to how we, as Christians, are responding to these events.” ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND GENUINE JOY Economically, the recovery will likely extend long past the virus. When state governments effectively shut down most businesses in March and April, a healthcare crisis turned into an economic crisis with millions losing their jobs. Jeff Haymond, Dean of the School of Business Administration and Professor of Economics, said that the solution is easy to understand but hard to implement. “If the problem is that we stopped producing, the solution is to start producing,” he said. “But how do you balance production and safety? There are costs and benefits to whatever we do. We need to weigh the costs and benefits of different approaches.” Haymond explained that government interventions like the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act have helped some businesses, but these interventions focus on increasing demand when the real problem is supply. Until the economy starts producing in larger capacities, it will struggle to recover. Even when the economy starts producing at full capacity again, it will still face long-term issues, some new and some that the pandemic has exacerbated. “We’ve added $3 trillion to our national debt in a few months, and we might add $1-3 trillion more,” Haymond said. “We were going to have to deal with the consequences of the debt within the next 10–15 years or so, but that timeline has now been crunched.” How quickly will the economy rebound? Experts are unsure. But in a time of extreme uncertainty, Christians have something to offer that others do not, something not based on financial security. “We need joy. There’s not a lot of hope out there, but before anything else, people need the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we show joy during the crisis, people will wonder what’s different about us,” Haymond said. EXTREME ANXIETY AND THE TRUE ANCHOR Our culture’s lack of hope means more people are experiencing mental health issues as well. Betsy Linnell ’00, Assistant Professor of Psychology and a Licensed Professional Before anything else, people need the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jeff Haymond 18 | Cedarville Magazine