Btw, the US still leads the world in Total Cases, Total Deaths, New Cases, Active Cases and Serious/Critical Cases.
As long as you overlook China.
You know next to nothing about China or CV in China.
Why pretend otherwise?Imagine a world in which back around Feb 1 2020 (or even March 1), the US implemented a fairly strict 2 month lockdown, where only health workers, pharmacists, food sellers and distributors were permitted to have businesses open.
People would be allowed to go outside but most everything was closed. While the President wore a mask on TV and told the nation that a lockdown with folks staying home and away from others as much as possible, and wearing masks when around strangers, will stop the transmission of the virus.
April 1st a gradual, careful reopening begins, expanding week by week. Mask wearing still encouraged in public spaces, and companies encouraged to let employees work at home when possible. Hardly any emphasis on social distancing, heavy reliance on masks. Cheap rapid antigen tests are employed from the outset, asymptomatic positives getting more reliable followup nucleic tests.
By April 1st there are essentially zero domestic transmissions, as the virus has
nowhere to go and peters out. While airports and borders very careful screen arrivals, which are highly limited, to avoid imported cases. Any cases detected are dealt with by tried-and-true quarantines, along with extensive contact tracing and mass testing.
After April 1 2020, life returns mostly to normal, with the exception of no mass events and mask wearing still encouraged. Hospitals run as normal,
people don't get sick from CV, people don't die from CV. The economy grows at a huge clip of 5% - 6% as much of the world is dealing with large disruptive outbreaks. US manufacturing even rebounds.
By May 1st, and especially June 1st 2020, coronavirus is something happening elsewhere. Bars and restaurants are full, gyms open, life is normal. Though mask wearing is still encouraged to be careful. Roughly 50% voluntarily wear masks in public, even while domestic transmissions rarely occur. Schools reopen Sept 2020 with no restrictions. Life is very close to normal. Folks don't get sick or die from CV. The US awaits the vaccines which the president and everyone is looking forward to as a means of thwarting and diminishing the threat of CV for good. America is back!
Basically, that is exactly what happened in China. The voluntary lockdown -- non-essential businesses had to close -- in Shanghai lasted from Jan 22 to March 21 2020. March 22, I was in a gym playing basketball again (one guy played while masked). I was still fairly careful for the first 2 months of the reopening. But by July 1, I had stopped wearing a mask except when required (subway, buses, gov't buildings, some office buildings, etc). Been that way for over a year now. I only wear a mask when required, or if everyone else is. My worry about catching the virus is close to zero and has been for over a year now.
All the fear and inconvenience and sickness and death Americans experienced for the past 15 months could have been avoided. I didn't go through that. We know how a simple respiratory virus transmits, and its not that hard to stop, given the will and proper implementation. Lockdowns, quarantines, testing with quick results, and mask wearing.
The past 15 months have been a hugely different experience in China than in the US. China rose to the challenge so its people were safe and life normal, the US succumbed and embarrassingly made a health crisis into a political issue. The president couldn't even protect his workplace and himself from the virus.
Chinese were significantly inconvenienced for two months and then returned to their normal lives. The US has experienced a long slow unfolding medical crisis for 15 months, which has greatly disrupted lives, along with prolonged fear and worry (and sickness).
An abysmal response to a flu-like pandemic by the US gov't and a good % of Americans. Incompetence. Unnecessary suffering. A huge embarrassment.
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