The U.S. Is Uniquely Hamstrung on Virus Response
The peculiarities of the American health-care system present big barriers to matching the success of Singapore and other nations.
Bad sick leave policies and the high cost of health care will hamper America's coronavirus response.
Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/BloombergIt was never a case of if, but when the novel coronavirus would start spreading in the U.S. — and now it’s happening. Multiple states reported new cases over the weekend, and more are likely to emerge in the next few days. It's becoming clear that the country isn't as prepared, and its early response wasn't as robust as President Donald Trump has claimed.
The administration is starting to do some of the right things. It's working to boost testing capacity, and that will help health workers get a handle on the spread of the disease and aid in containment; health officials are also now looking for cases entering the country from outside of China. These steps came far too slowly, however, leading to missed opportunities to catch and prevent infections.