The top ranking surprised some experts, given what has been widely regarded as a failed pandemic response. The United States had “the lowest possible score on public confidence in the government,” the report noted. Other vulnerabilities include financial barriers to health care and fewer hospital beds per capita than other high-income countries, which could compromise the United States’ ability to respond to future emergencies. “Any missing capacity could be crippling,” Dr. Nuzzo said. Rebecca Katz, who directs the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, said she agreed with the assessment that the world was not ready for another pandemic.

Source: thestar December 08, 2021 23:15 UTC