, Columnist
Put Americans Back to Work Fighting the Coronavirus
Hundreds of thousands of contact tracers could save lives — and the U.S. economy.
In Ireland, army cadets are training as contact tracers. The U.S. should take note.
Photographer: PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Nearly 17 million Americans have lost their jobs since mid-March, when the coronavirus started spreading around the country. Many won’t be able to return to work until the outbreak is contained. Meanwhile, there’s a proven strategy for containing infectious diseases, which is notoriously difficult to carry out because it’s so labor-intensive.
Why don’t we solve both problems at once?