We recently wrote an article suggesting that COVID-19 put globalism on trial. But, in predictable form, the jury absolved globalism because its ideas about open borders, freedom of movement, non-tariffs and universalism had to prevail. What that means is each country will likely now have to deal with the problem. And, as you will see in this article, the U.S. is in a spectacular position to fail.
To some, this may be alarming because America is a recognized world leader. But let us recognize the facts.
1. Shortages
Although aware of the situation in China for quite some time, the U.S. still supposedly has only 1% of the surgical masks it will need and is lacking other critical materials. Watch the following report as it goes over the extent of the shortage (click on image below for video):
The COVID recovery ratio in the US is inferior to much of the world. For example, Germany has had approximately 600 cases of the virus, but still has not reported a single death. Why is the U.S. lagging behind? What is it doing differently?
3. Lack of testing:
The ability to test for COVID is critical to helping the infected know when to isolate themselves so as to reduce the speed by which the virus sweeps through the population. This is important so hospitals do not become overcrowded with COVID patients and so there is room for others who need to be hospitalized regardless of COVID.
Unfortunately, testing numbers in the U.S. remain abysmally low, so it is unclear how many people are actually infected. Many are probably carriers and not even aware that they are infected because many symptoms of COVID only appear after weeks of illness. According to official sources, here are the testing numbers as of March 2, 2020:
4. Incompetence
One woman in the U.S. was accidentally released from a quarantine despite testing positive for the virus and ended up wandering around a Texas mall. Would you believe that same mall was also chosen as a random drop-off for cruise ship passengers who were infected? Why are these people not being escorted to isolated care and quarantined? It is almost as if they want this thing to spread rapidly. Come on, America. Where is the order, efficiency and competency that was once a point of pride and identity in the bygone era?
5. Health care
It appears that tests for this coronavirus will be covered under Medicare, per official sources. But what about the hospital stays and the costs associated with treatment? As Business Insider reports, one man is facing a $3,200 bill for treatment, which is only being covered in part by his insurance:
Can low-income Americans afford this, or are they just going to have to tough it out on the street? Stories such as this, and the general understanding people already have about American healthcare costs, could lead to people to just wing-it, perhaps contributing to preventable deaths and the spread of the virus. This could be a problem regardless where the virus strikes, but the consequences are tenfold in high-density urban areas.
Can low-income Americans afford this, or are they just going to have to tough it out on the street? Stories such as this, and the general understanding people already have about American healthcare costs, could lead to people to just wing-it, perhaps contributing to preventable deaths and the spread of the virus. This could be a problem regardless where the virus strikes, but the consequences are tenfold in high-density urban areas.
6. Mentality and riots
Obedience has already been shown to be a problem the world over. So far, we have seen resistance to quarantines and curfews in Israel and Italy. Russia is also on that list, but its government deported the infected who were violating the terms of their quarantine to mitigate the danger. Can we expect the same hard-line approach in the U.S., especially with regards to those who become infected who are here illegally? It is hard to believe, in today's social climate, that they could be deported.
America has even less capacity to enforce and follow quarantines. Non-compliance with quarantine orders is already happening New Hampshire. Notably, New Hampshire is not a place where bad relations with law enforcement and uppity populations are at issue. So what about in the rough, no-go areas that police do not currently even have control in?
Hand in hand with quarantine and obedience concerns comes a problem exposed in sobering detail amidst Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Aa chaos set in, mass looting began. America is not Japan, where order and civility can be taken for granted; this is the West, where egoism and individualism increasingly reign supreme.
The whole situation could get very ugly very quickly. If it does, expect what happened in New Orleans in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina - or in Los Angeles in 1992 - to pale in comparison to what comes next; after all, this coronavirus might not only affect multiple cities at once, but also involve major shortages, which is something neither New Orleans in 2005 nor Los Angeles in 1992 featured. Hold on to your hats.
The whole situation could get very ugly very quickly. If it does, expect what happened in New Orleans in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina - or in Los Angeles in 1992 - to pale in comparison to what comes next; after all, this coronavirus might not only affect multiple cities at once, but also involve major shortages, which is something neither New Orleans in 2005 nor Los Angeles in 1992 featured. Hold on to your hats.
