copyright1997reloaded
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
As we all debate all this this economy vs. saving lives and preventing illness, we need to keep one thing in mind.
Most will eventually get this virus. The only thing we need to do is ensure our ability to care for those who get it at any point in time is not exceeded by the number that have it at that point in time.
So besides economic quarantine we can bend the other curve more. The ability to prevent (masks and sanitizers), track (test kits easy and quick), and care (respirators); for everyone who wants / needs it.
Want to restart the economy? A manhattan project for production of these items will allow the population to return to work with the confidence that should they fall ill, they will know it and care will be available.
So while congress debates $2T in economic relief. Where is a simple $100B (guess) for this manhattan project?
Here's a wild, no facts opinion: In two months we will be awash in masks, ventilators, hand sanitizer, gloves, and ... toilet paper.
Let's take hand sanitzer as an example: This is not the same is producing an atomic bomb (since you mentioned the Manhattan project). Distillers and others (e.g. ABev) have already started making it. Even *I* could make it given the ability to make Alcohol (from grains).
Probably the toughest one to ramp up is ventilators, at least fancy computer controlled ones. But even that isn't new, unknown technology - the Iron Lung was created in 1928 (and that is what a respirator is when you get under the covers). Some headlines in the past 24 hours:
Ford working with 3M and GE to make ventilators: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/business/ford-3m-ge-ventilators-coronavirus-duplicate-2/index.html
FDA eases rules on ventilator makers: https://www.medtechdive.com/news/coronavirus-fda-relaxes-rules-on-ventilator-manufacturers/574648/
and so on...