• Subscribe
  • Log In
  • Home
  • Daily Diary
  • Asset Class
    • U.S. Equity
    • Fixed Income
    • Global Equity
    • Commodities
    • Currencies
  • Sector
    • Basic Materials
    • Consumer Discretionary
    • Consumer Staples
    • Energy
    • Financial Services
    • Healthcare
    • Industrials
    • Real Estate
    • Technology
    • Telecom Services
    • Transportation
    • Utilities
  • Latest
    • Articles
    • Video
    • Columnist Conversations
    • Best Ideas
    • Stock of the Day
  • Street Notes
  • Authors
    • Doug Kass
    • Bruce Kamich
    • Jim Cramer
    • Jim "Rev Shark" DePorre
    • Helene Meisler
    • Jonathan Heller
    • - See All -
  • Options
  • RMPIA
  • Switch Product
    • Action Alerts PLUS
    • Quant Ratings
    • Real Money
    • Real Money Pro
    • Retirement
    • Stocks Under $10
    • TheStreet
    • Top Stocks
    • Trifecta Stocks
  1. Home
  2. / Jim Cramer

Jim Cramer: Here's How We're Going to Beat Covid-19

Let's talk about what's happening right now to get this thing under control and what it will look like not that long from now.
By JIM CRAMER
Oct 13, 2020 | 02:13 PM EDT
Stocks quotes in this article: FDX, REGN, LLY, JNJ, LH

We're going to beat this disease. We just aren't going to beat it with the timeframe or weapons we would like to beat it with.

First, where we follow rules about social distancing and we wear masks we are able to tamp down the disease. But as soon as we lose discipline or we take the masks off and crowd in to bars and restaurants the disease comes right back. It is so intractable it's extraordinary.

Now, of course, when it comes back, those who want to minimize the whole pandemic immediately report that we have figured out how to keep people from dying. I have no idea why that's the standard because, one, it applies to mostly younger people who contract it not people with co-morbidities or are older. We are not a country that typically lets people die if they have certain pre-existing conditions. So we wear our masks and we try to stay away from each other when we can.

Now I know masks have many uncomfortable characteristics which is why we started xprize.org/mask to get the best community mask that can be made. It's a long shot way to get the people in the areas that don't wear masks to be a little more compliant because we can't wipe it out by wishing it away or, the new thing, betting you get it and you will be asymptomatic like so many of the NFL players who have contracted it seem to be.

But let's talk about the good, about what is happening right now to get this thing under control and what it will look like not that long from now. First, things have gotten very easy to get tested. Sure you can find some outfit to give you a test and you can get an appointment maybe and wait in line. But I think you should just go to Pixel.labcorp.com where you get a test the next day after you order one. You do it at home - lower nostrils, not painful, FedEx (FDX) it and you can get the results the next day. Do it during the week. That way you never have to be with other people and you are getting a PCR test which is the best you can get. It's not an at-home instant test but it's not something given at a scary place where there are other people who may have covid. Visby, an outfit we profiled last week, has an in-home PCR test, but there is so much demand you will not get one. At least the Lab Corp (LH) procedure is covered by insurance.

Now if you get covid you have to quarantine and there's a good chance you get better on your own. If not you go to the hospital and they are getting better and better and figuring out how to get you out of the hospital fast. But to help yourself take Vitamin C and Vitamin D, and you could have more strength to fight the scourge.

The good news is that in a few short months most hospitals should have the Regeneron (REGN) cocktail or Eli Lilly (LLY) drip that will, hopefully, reverse the viral load that makes you so sick. That's what happened to President Trump. These are both hard to make but we are more likely than not getting 1.5 million doses of these which we can give to people who just tested positive and are in the best shape to get better fast.

Ultimately these are all stop gap. The real hope is the vaccine. I have said from the beginning that until we got a vaccine, things would not return to normal. But vaccines are tough. Witness today when Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) had to pause its test on more than 100,000, some people got ill. The company reported a terrific quarter and yet the stock got hit even as JNJ will make no money from the vaccine. That's a pledge. Still it is a reminder of how fragile the whole situation is. JNJ does not know what the illness is. They don't even know if the person has the placebo. But I actually feel good about this because I don't want our drug companies to be bullied by a president who wants these companies to heel. They aren't.

I mothballed Bar San Miguel today until March. I am confident right now that we will have something by then. Until then I will try social distancing and wear a mask.

I hope you will, too.

(Johnson & Johnson is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS member club. Want to be alerted before Jim Cramer buys or sells JNJ? Learn more now.)

Get an email alert each time I write an article for Real Money. Click the "+Follow" next to my byline to this article.

Action Alerts PLUS, which Cramer co-manages as a charitable trust, is long JNJ..

TAGS: Drug Approvals | Investing | Markets | Stocks | Trading | Health Care Equipment & Services | Healthcare | Pharmaceuticals | Jim Cramer | Coronavirus

More from Jim Cramer

Jim Cramer: Attention CEOs! Don't Be Like GameStop

Jim Cramer
Jan 27, 2021 11:54 AM EST

CEOs of stocks that are heavily shorted should be ready to sell billions of dollars of stock right now.

Jim Cramer: Ready, Set, Go!

Jim Cramer
Jan 26, 2021 1:30 PM EST

Here's why you should wait for a dip -- not the vaccine glut -- to start buying.

Jim Cramer: This Is a Market of Stocks, Not a Stock Market

Jim Cramer
Jan 25, 2021 3:22 PM EST

With few exceptions, there isn't a stock that could bring down this market.

Jim Cramer: Buy GameStop For What It's Worth

Jim Cramer
Jan 25, 2021 6:14 AM EST

It's just a question of how high or low the stock can go.

Jim Cramer: The Market Now Acts Like a Market of Stocks Than a Bushel or a Peck

Jim Cramer
Jan 22, 2021 12:52 PM EST

There was a period before the time of commoditization where individual elan and corporate dominance meant something. And that's back.

Real Money's message boards are strictly for the open exchange of investment ideas among registered users. Any discussions or subjects off that topic or that do not promote this goal will be removed at the discretion of the site's moderators. Abusive, insensitive or threatening comments will not be tolerated and will be deleted. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have questions, please contact us here.

Email

CANCEL
SUBMIT

Email sent

Thank you, your email to has been sent successfully.

DONE

Oops!

We're sorry. There was a problem trying to send your email to .
Please contact customer support to let us know.

DONE

Please Join or Log In to Email Our Authors.

Email Real Money's Wall Street Pros for further analysis and insight

Already a Subscriber? Login

Columnist Conversation

  • 11:48 AM EST STEPHEN GUILFOYLE

    Cashing in Some More Chips at Stocks Under $10

    We're trimming a position for a big gain today.
  • 08:34 AM EST GARY BERMAN

    Wednesday Morning Fibocall for 1/27/2021

    The "correction" can be coming sooner than we thou...
  • 09:35 AM EST CHRIS VERSACE

    Another Big Winner for Stocks Under $10

    We're ringing the register Tuesday morning.
  • See More

COLUMNIST TWEETS

  • A Twitter List by realmoney
About Privacy Terms of Use

© 1996-2021 TheStreet, Inc., 225 Liberty Street, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10281

Need Help? Contact Customer Service

Except as otherwise indicated, quotes are delayed. Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes for all exchanges. Market Data & Company fundamental data provided by FactSet. Earnings and ratings provided by Zacks. Mutual fund data provided by Valueline. ETF data provided by Lipper. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions Group.

TheStreet Ratings updates stock ratings daily. However, if no rating change occurs, the data on this page does not update. The data does update after 90 days if no rating change occurs within that time period.

FactSet calculates the Market Cap for the basic symbol to include common shares only. Year-to-date mutual fund returns are calculated on a monthly basis by Value Line and posted mid-month.

Compare Brokers

Please Join or Log In to manage and receive alerts.

Follow Real Money's Wall Street Pros to receive real-time investing alerts

Already a Subscriber? Login