[Goose]

After H1N1 (in 1976) and the light brush with swine flu in 2009, the public's support for drastic measures before March was nonexistent. It was the discovery that C-19 was no swine flu that changed perception.

Totally agree here.

And for that belated awakening, we have the CCP to thank.

I don't agree here at all. The CCP did not disclose all they could have. It is somewhat assumed here that the reasons for that were not benign. That may be, but in my experience incompetence and just plain being wrong is much more common than malice. In any case, I don't think that complete transparency would have mattered all that much.
People in the US still view China, Japan, and Asia as "a far away country, between people of whom we know nothing". Not at all accurate in today's world, but still a major factor in US public opinion. The SARS outbreak that was supposed to be so bad in the US wasn't. What happens in China means little about what will happen in the USA. It was also "an N of 1". Probably won't be bad anywhere else.
Italy was a different case. Although equally far away, it is considered as "like us". If it happens in Italy, it can happen here. Totally different psychology. It was also no longer a outlier. N was now 2. When we saw Italy start to get hit, it suddenly became credible it could happen here.

[Goose]

After H1N1 (in 1976) and the light brush with swine flu in 2009, the public's support for drastic measures before March was nonexistent. It was the discovery that C-19 was no swine flu that changed perception.

Totally agree here.

And for that belated awakening, we have the CCP to thank.

I don't agree here at all. The CCP did not disclose all they could have. It is somewhat assumed here that the reasons for that were not benign. That may be, but in my experience incompetence and just plain being wrong is much more common than malice. In any case, I don't think that complete transparency would have mattered all that much.
People in the US still view China, Japan, and Asia as "a far away country, between people of whom we know nothing". Not at all accurate in today's world, but still a major factor in US public opinion. The SARS outbreak that was supposed to be so bad in the US wasn't. What happens in China means little about what will happen in the USA. It was also "an N of 1". Probably won't be bad anywhere else.
Italy was a different case. Although equally far away, it is considered as "like us". If it happens in Italy, it can happen here. Totally different psychology. It was also no longer a outlier. N was now 2. When we saw Italy start to get hit, it suddenly became credible it could happen here.