How to End This Crisis and Get Back to Life
Funding Innovation is the only way we avoid a lost year and an economic depression
Hopefully COVID-19 is seasonal. If so that means after a spring of rolling 8 week social distancing in various geographies, we will have some time over the summer and early fall to figure out how to survive a much more deadly return of the virus next winter. If I was running the country right now I would do the following immediately:
Given that the coronavirus is a greater current threat than any enemy nation, I would appropriate 5% of the 2020 Defense budget ($718 Billion) to create an innovation and recovery fund of $35 billion. I would use this to fund the following:
A $5 billion prize administered by DARPA to the first company that proves it can make self-administered COVID-19 test kits that can be mass-produced for $10 a piece. But the prize steps down to $2 billion if it can't be delivered by October 1, 2020.
Buy 400 million tests and distribute them to every American via the USPS ($4 billion)
A $5 billion prize administered by DARPA to the first company that discovers an effective anti-viral for COVID-19 and can mass produce them for $14 for a 2 week course. Prize diminishes to $2 billion after October 1, 2020.
Buy one for every American ($5.2 Billion) and distribute through the USPS
Share the IP and production to the world. This is not out of generosity alone – we need functioning governments and economies to minimize disruptions to our supply chains and the security damage of failed states.
Once these are available in October (hopefully) have everyone go back to work, school, sports, life in general and have them test themselves if they have symptoms, take their 2 weeks of anti-virals and return to the social life and economy of the country.
Wait but that’s only ~ $20 billion or so – what’s the rest for?
$10 billion to distribute them in less developed countries, in partnership with China and the EU who would also kick in funds.
$5 billion in reserve for addition test kits and anti-viral courses.
This will get us through until August of 2021 when a vaccine will be developed. A further appropriation of the defense budget to support free vaccinations may be needed next year, but more than likely insurance companies and employers will bear most of that burden out of self-interest.
Done! Last step…Go have margaritas on the beach with family and friends.