Wed Mar 11 2020

Developing a strategy for testing was supposed to be a relatively simple part of preparing for the coronavirus in the United States. So what went wrong? Guests: Sheri Fink, a correspondent for The Times reporting on global public health, and Dr. Helen Y. Chu, an infectious disease expert in Seattle. Dr. Chu was part of a research project that tried to conduct early tests for the coronavirus but failed to obtain state and federal support.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.  Background reading: During the early days of the outbreak, when containment would have been easier, the federal government missed a series of chances to ensure more widespread testing.After weeks of playing down the potential effects of the coronavirus, President Trump proposed an emergency relief package to bolster the economy — one that has been met by bipartisan opposition.The number of known U.S. cases of coronavirus infection has passed 1,000, with the virus found in every r...