Capability versus response - Printable Version

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Capability versus response - BostonCard - 09-19-2020

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2770891?utm_source=silverchair&utm_campaign=jama_network&utm_content=covid_weekly_highlights&utm_medium=email'

The US had a high capacity but a poor response.

Quote:These outcomes were not inevitable. As measured by the GHS Index, the US was better positioned than most other countries to respond to COVID-19. The Index includes 140 questions that assess national capacities or abilities among 6 categories: (1) prevention of the emergence, release, or spread of pathogens; (2) early detection and reporting for epidemics of potential international concern; (3) rapid response to and mitigation of the spread of an epidemic; (4) sufficient and robust health system to treat affected patients and protect health workers; (5) commitments to improving national capacity, financing plans to address gaps, and adhering to global norms; and (6) overall risk environment and country vulnerability to biological threats. The Index is scored on a 0- to 100-point scale, with 100 representing the highest possible score a country can receive. However, although the Index is useful in identifying gaps in pandemic preparedness, the GHS Index rankings and scores are not correlated with COVID-19 death rates.5

Interesting analysis of where the US falls short.

Quote:Despite its top overall ranking on the index, the US received a low score on a key factor that can determine how well a country is able to react to a pandemic: public confidence in the government. The US is one of only a small number of high-income countries in the Index that received the lowest possible score on public confidence in the government. Poor confidence in the government can undermine the public’s adherence with disease-control measures, such as wearing masks or stay-at-home recommendations, and has been reported among the existing challenges to the US COVID-19 response.

Some of it, I think is inherent into the American culture.  But I also think the administration has undermined public confidence in government, and the President bears a lot of responsibility in my assessment.  All in all, a pretty damning assessment.

BC

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