The US is a much bigger country and the virus has “hit” the US more on a state by state basis. Some states are outperforming Korea and others are behind, the results so far have little to do with any inherent policies and more to do with other factors like population density and the number of initial travelers that imported the virus to that individual state.

But it is likely that when all is said and done, that the US will experience a lower mortality rate per capita than Korea even as those areas of the nation that were impacted early on experience similar results to Korea. The later an area is hit by the virus, the more that becomes known on how to treat it when it gets there and the more options exist to test for the virus. Within 60 days some companies will be able to operate in the US and test employees nearly everyday when they arrive at work… an option that does not exist today.

Comparisons between small and large countries are also difficult. For example, one argument is that the US has tested more people than Korea, the counter argument is that Korea has tested more people per capita. Both are true, but neither is relevant… the question again becomes how has testing been used… testing is not a cure… but rather used as part of an overall public health strategy… no country has the ability at this point to test people who have no symptoms, yet 80% of those that get the virus are virtually symptom free…

Also, unclear is whether the actions taken by South Korea or the US will impact the total number of people that get the virus or whether it will only impact the rate at which the virus is transmitted.

To many media types are trying to declare winners and losers in the fight against the Covid 19 virus… the reality is that every country will suffer in one or another… but it will be the US industrial might that will allow in time for the production of the “weapons” of war in the battle against the “unseen” enemy… whether that be masks, testing techniques, ventilators, etc. Even in the production of medications for the treatment of the virus we will likely lead the nation…

Sadly, poor public health policy in the past allowed the production of other critical medications to be moved offshore (as well as other strategic medical resources). Most we can compensate for given how flexible our industrial base is… but a few will remain in short supply until US policy demands such items be produced in this country. More than anything else, the wisdom of several of Trump’s policies are being revealed including the need to control entry into the US and the need to do strategic production in the US. While “health” security was cited as a reason for secure borders it was dismissed as baloney and the need to produce strategic materials within our borders was embraced but we failed to recognize that it needed to extend to medical resources and not just “war” materials…