Essay on the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected the USA Worse Than Most Other Countries. Why Is This, and What Could Have Been Done Differently?

Introduction

The first case of COVID-19 was recorded in early December 2019, in Wuhan, China. The case was linked to the wholesale food market in the Wuhan capital city of central China. The United States first recorded its case in January 2020, leading to the official declaration that it is a public health emergency on January 31, 2020. The argumentative essay answers the question why the pandemic has affected the USA worse than most other countries, why this, and what could be done differently to control the surging reported cases.

I agree with the fact that COVID-19 has affected the USA worse than in other countries. According to Friedman (2020), President Trump’s administration failed to take the virus seriously when it emerged as other countries did make it worse for the country. Two days after America recorded its first case of COVID-19, President Trump assured his citizen that everything was under total control. However, after four months, the virus had spread across 50 states will a total new case of 1.6million and death of 100,000 (Hills, 2020).

The number of deaths increased in the USA more than in other countries because the virus had spread to different centers at different times. The cases and deaths figures were too high compared to other countries around the world. The virus has pushed the hospital places to capacity and created economic slowdown but, the USA was much affected in such a way that 90% of the population was forced to undertake mandatory lockdown leading to the economy downfall. The country also experienced a high number of new cases of over 6.5 million, making hospitals overcrowded, thus increasing the demand of more centers and supply of more health facilities than other countries whose new cases were low.

USA could have done better to curb the pandemic. Looking at South Korea, the first case of COVID-19 was reported at the same time as USA. However, South Korea took a drastic measure by forming a great public-private partnership that helped in quick testing and provided early guidelines like social distancing and washing hands regularly. They also incorporated the immigration rules that guided travelers, thus reducing infections and death in the country.

Conclusion

The United States president, Donald Trump, failed as a leader. He promoted the use of unproven medicines like hydroxychloroquine, knowing the drug has not undergone any clinical trial. He was seen severally without facemasks, the only measure that is scientifically proven to prevent the virus. If the president could have led as an example in doing what is needed, then the citizen would be in safe hands. This proves that if the USA could have done the same, the motility rate would have been minimized.

Works Cited

Friedman, Uri. “Why America Is Uniquely Unsuited to Dealing With the Coronavirus.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, March 25. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-united-states-vulnerable-pandemic/608686/.

Hills, Mike. “Coronavirus: How the Pandemic in US Compares with Rest of World.” BBC News, BBC, 27 May 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52771783.