As the Coronavirus spreads through the United States, the Trump Administration has been reluctant to enforce drastic measures to slow the spread of coronavirus.

On October 13, the White House indicated that it prefers to let the population develop herd immunity.

What is herd immunity? Herd immunity is when the majority of people have become immune to a virus and the chance of it spreading is very low.

If we have a herd immunity mindset, then most likely we will eventually all get Covid-19.

This is not ok for many reasons. A variety of problems result from relying solely on herd immunity.

We have known about Covid-19 for over six months and we still haven’t found a vaccine.

The coronavirus has already killed way too many people. Letting Covid-19 run its course will result in more deaths.

Covid-19 often kills people who are older and have weaker immune systems. We should prevent further deaths by protecting at-risk populations, including the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions.

The logical solution to protecting vulnerable populations is to do what New Zealand did and lockdown.

Some people argue a lockdown hurts the economy, but think of your grandmother. Do you really want your grandma to die?

Even one death is too many. We must do whatever we can to protect our fellow citizens.

Many precautions are very simple. Some of them include social distancing, washing your hands, and wearing a mask.

Scientists believe that waiting for herd immunity is a mistake.

Never before has a pandemic been controlled by deliberately infecting people hoping that they become immune.

For herd immunity to take effect, about 50% would need to be infected. Our hospitals do not have the capacity for that.

Even if the population develops immunity to Covid-19, it may only be temporary. This means that herd immunity would never be achieved.

Overall, failing to take precautions and encouraging the spread of Covid-19 is irresponsible and puts all of us in danger.