US deaths currently stand at 1,704. Why should their epidemic be any different to China, Italy, UK, Spain etc in general form?
A number of reasons in my view.
Firstly, their healthcare system, whilst of a generally very high standard, is disjointed and lacks any form of cohesion. I also think the absence of a culture of healthcare being free at the point of delivery is likely to present very real challenges in dealing with this.
Secondly, because of poor and ineffectual leadership. Their head of state is clinically insane in my view. At the very least, he is providing little or no meaningful leadership or vision. He also underestimated this far more significantly than any other western leader, mocking its likely effects only a few weeks ago. They are woefully unprepared and lack effective decision making where it matters.
Thirdly, the size of the country will make this harder to manage and contain, than in European countries. It’s also correct to say that the amount of people that previously travelled around within its borders will have greatly accentuated this challenge in all but the most isolated northern states.
Fourthly, the numbers of people with underlying health conditions will be greater than any developed country, both numerically and proportionally; especially the clinically obese.
Fifthly, is the prevailing culture of recalcitrance and distrust of big government, especially within the more rural states. This will make operating and enforcing any policy around this pandemic (Federal or State) far more challenging and make the likelihood of social disorder far greater. This characteristic renders any comparison with China to be nugatory.
Sixthly, and this follows on from five, is the proliferation of firearms within the general population, which will present a range of challenges of their own which won’t subsist to anything like the same extent in European countries.
I could probably come up with a few more if I applied my mind more rigorously to the issue.
