Why Can't America Handle the Coronavirus Crisis? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why Can't America Handle the Coronavirus Crisis?

#41

Post by mnm1 » Tue, Mar 10, 2020, 9:07 AM UTC

docdeek wrote: post #30

olliej wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

not sure why people are hating on this - the approach of the current WH has been to destroy what little remaining respect for the US that the rest of the world had.

Likely because having the respect of the rest of the world or electing Hillary Clinton in 2016 would have made very little difference in the face of (a) a pandemic virus, and (b) the major structural problems in the US economy that the article points to.

So you think Clinton would have called the coronavirus a hoax and actively worked to delay and reduce testing while it spread uncontrolled? Fascinating. I think things can always get worse, but at this point, the federal government's response to this led by vice president dumb and president dumber is pretty close to rock bottom. Hard to get worse than actively encouraging the spreading of the virus while holding back almost all testing and preparedness. Even a week can make a huge difference and the federal government has done little in almost two months. I have a hard time believing a different president wouldn't be more effective in the face of this pandemic. Hell, a fucking dog as a president would be better than a president that actively works to worsen outcomes like the current one. That is criminal, but of course, nothing new for him.

Re: Why Can't America Handle the Coronavirus Crisis?

#42

Post by donatj » Tue, Mar 10, 2020, 10:52 AM UTC

PakG1 wrote: post #27

donatj wrote: post #5

Handling it better than a lot of countries…

Better than who for example? Better than Iran? I'd certainly hope so. Other than Iran, I'd say it's too early to tell.

China? At no point we're we arresting people for spreading the word about it?

Re: Why Can't America Handle the Coronavirus Crisis?

#43

Post by Arnt » Tue, Mar 10, 2020, 2:08 PM UTC

neilwilson wrote: post #19

vondur wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People seem to hold the Dutch healthcare system in high regard, and it's private.

The British NHS is private at the primary care level. Every GP is a private business contracted by the government to provide local health services. It’s the elimination of the uninsured risk (aka will I get paid for treating this individual) that is the difference. Not whether the healthcare provider is employed directly by the state.

There's more.

I've lived in two different countries which have competently managed and effective health care systems. They're different from each other and it's noticeable, but so are various traits they share. They both try to learn from what other countries are doing better, they both keep costs down, they both are competently managed and essentially socialist (that is, they work for the entire population).

Here's a trio of predictions: At least one of the competent European health systems will mishandle the Corona crisis and a lot more people will die than in the neighbouring countries. The American fanbois will use that as a solid proof that anything and everything that country's health system is wrong, including the things its neighbours also do. Noone in the American health system will try to learn from the more successful handling in some European countries, and definitely not from any country like South Korea or Taiwan, outside the Indoeuropean language zone.

Re: Why Can't America Handle the Coronavirus Crisis?

#44

Post by Seenso » Tue, Mar 10, 2020, 2:11 PM UTC

forkexec wrote: post #35

gentleman11 wrote: post #3

The elephant in the room (re: the pandemic response) is the privatized health care system. With costs so high, people will avoid treatment, and with few security nets, people will go to work sick. How exactly do you prevent a rapid spread in that situation?

The SARS-CoV-2 test is or was $2000 without insurance. And now the private test clinics have it and get to charge whatever they want. In the past, such tests would be provided to the public for free. Instead, the poor and working-poor do without, have to go to work sick because they don't have sick days, and infect more people because they don't have a choice unless they want to lose their jobs, their housing, and be…

> have to go to work sick because they don't have sick days

Personally, I think sick people who don't have paid sick leave should be paid to cough on people who oppose requirements for paid sick leave.

Re: Why Can't America Handle the Coronavirus Crisis?

#45

Post by Seenso » Tue, Mar 10, 2020, 2:25 PM UTC

donatj wrote: post #42

PakG1 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Better than who for example? Better than Iran? I'd certainly hope so. Other than Iran, I'd say it's too early to tell.

China? At no point we're we arresting people for spreading the word about it?

>> Better than who for example? Better than Iran? I'd certainly hope so. Other than Iran, I'd say it's too early to tell.

> China? At no point we're we arresting people for spreading the word about it?

I'm no fan of the Chinese government, but

1) their authoritarianism both kick-started this epidemic and bungled the initial response

2) AND seems to have contained the epidemic once its severity was understood.

The US and many other developed countries seem to be on track to bungling their initial response, as well. That's pretty inexcusable since they've had the benefit of months to prepare.

The US government should have paid to build up a test kit stockpile in February, but I guess now we get to see how badly free market principles handle an epidemic.

Re: Why Can't America Handle the Coronavirus Crisis?

#46

Post by gentleman11 » Tue, Mar 10, 2020, 3:57 PM UTC

Seenso wrote: post #44

forkexec wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The SARS-CoV-2 test is or was $2000 without insurance. And now the private test clinics have it and get to charge whatever they want. In the past, such tests would be provided to the public for free. Instead, the poor and working-poor do without, have to go to work sick because they don't have sick days, and infect more people because they don't have a choice unless they want to lose their jobs, their housing, and be…

> have to go to work sick because they don't have sick days Personally, I think sick people who don't have paid sick leave should be paid to cough on people who oppose requirements for paid sick leave.

I have worked a lot of jobs before I got into sent where that was the expectation. Being sick was a matter of “pushing through” and “not being a burden”