(CNN)Despite declaring war on the coronavirus, a White House playing catch-up and a deadlocked Congress are struggling to cope with the pandemic's tragic humanitarian and grave economic toll.

A failed Senate vote on a mammoth stimulus bill amid acrimony between Republicans and Democrats came as the virus trimmed the GOP majority with five members quarantined. The uncertainty hammered stock futures, portending another likely big sell-off when the markets open.

State and local leaders and front-line health workers meanwhile pleaded with President Donald Trump to rush lifesaving medical gear to them and their patients as US infections topped 32,000.

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A dark and disorientating weekend that stretched federal and local governments, the economy and the health care system to a breaking point, served to clarify the mind-numbing scale of the worst domestic crisis to hit the nation since World War II.

It ended with deeply ominous questions about the economy -- which appears to be tumbling into the abyss, and with fresh doubts over the President's capacity to lead and reassure the nation.

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams had a sobering message on Monday morning.

"I want America to understand -- this week, it's going to get bad," Adams told NBC's "Today Show," warning that some people had not been properly practicing social distancing.

"This is how the spread is occurring. So we really, really need everyone to stay at home," Adams said.