Europe stunned by US COVID-19 bungling
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The United States鈥 failure to contain the spread of the coronavirus has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe, as the world鈥檚 most powerful country registered over 5 million confirmed infections as of yesterday.
Perhaps nowhere outside the US is America鈥檚 bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy. Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February and the country still has one of the world鈥檚 highest official death tolls at 35,000.
But after a strict nationwide 10-week lockdown, vigilant tracing of new clusters and general acceptance of mask mandates and social distancing, Italy has become a model of virus containment.
鈥淒on鈥檛 they care about their health?鈥 a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano, north of Rome. 鈥淭hey need to take our precautions ... They need a real lockdown.鈥
Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the fact that America had the benefit of time, European experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn鈥檛 have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive care units.
Yet, more than four months into a sustained outbreak, the US has already hit an astonishing milestone of 5 million confirmed infections, easily the highest in the world. Health officials believe the actual number is closer to 50 million, given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40 percent of all cases are asymptomatic.
鈥淲e Italians always saw America as a model,鈥 said Massimo Franco, columnist with daily Corriere della Sera. 鈥淏ut with this virus we鈥檝e discovered a country that is very fragile, with bad infrastructure and a public health system that is non-existent.鈥
Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza hasn鈥檛 shied away from criticizing the US, officially condemning as 鈥渨rong鈥 Washington鈥檚 decision to withhold funding from the World Health Organization and marveling personally at US President Donald Trump鈥檚 virus response.
After Trump finally donned a protective mask last month, Speranza told La7 television: 鈥淚鈥檓 not surprised by Trump鈥檚 behavior now. I鈥檓 profoundly surprised by his behavior before.鈥
With America鈥檚 list-leading 160,000 dead, politicized resistance to masks and rising caseload, European nations have barred American tourists and visitors from other countries with growing cases from freely traveling to the bloc.
France and Germany are now imposing tests on arrival for travelers from 鈥渁t risk鈥 countries, the US included.
鈥淚 am very well aware that this impinges on individual freedoms, but I believe that this is a justifiable intervention,鈥 German Health Minister Jens Spahn said in announcing the tests last week.
In the US, new cases run at about 54,000 a day 鈥 an immensely higher number even when taking into account its larger population. And while that鈥檚 down from a peak of well over 70,000 last month, cases are rising in nearly 20 states, and deaths are climbing. In contrast, at least for now Europe appears to have the virus somewhat under control.
鈥淗ad the medical professionals been allowed to operate in the States, you would have belatedly gotten to a point of getting to grips with this back in March,鈥 said Scott Lucas, professor of international studies at the University of Birmingham, England.
鈥淏ut of course, the medical and public health professionals were not allowed to proceed unchecked,鈥 he said, referring to Trump鈥檚 frequent undercutting of his own experts.
Trump鈥檚 frequent complaints about Dr Anthony Fauci have regularly made headlines in Europe, where the US infectious diseases expert is a respected eminence grise. Italy鈥檚 leading COVID-19 hospital offered Fauci a job if Trump fired him.
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