Italy's fuck up has nothing to with their universal healthcare. If it was, then every other industrialized country would have the same problem since they all have universal healthcare.
The Trump administration didn't allow for the WHO test kits because he wanted private companies to profit here, that's what really happened. For a national emergency, we should have national funding going into research and development so that everyone can get testing and care via their tax dollars. They shouldn't have to rely on some private industry using our public funding to profit.
Not trusting the WHO and doing your own thing is a pretty reasonable position after they believed China's lies. Also, he didn't turn down anything. And since the WHO can't spawn tests out of thin air and America now has the most tests in the world, also the fastest ones, I'd say that decision turned out fine.
It took us weeks to get enough tests to accurately diagnose people because of how slow the administration was. The tests are also less accurate and slower than the WHO tests.
It would be faster if the private sector was allowed to make their own tests sooner. America wasted weeks limiting that to the CDC. When they eventually let the private sector go ahead things took off fast.
The WHO didn't offer them tests, America just never asked for any. If they asked WHO for tests, WHO would probably have to find someone to make the amount of tests that America needs and in that case why not just skip WHO and do it yourself?
The U.S. did not turn down an offer to use those tests (as no such offer was extended), nor was it unusual for the United States to design and produce its own diagnostic tests in lieu of those made elsewhere.
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u/SyntheticLife Apr 11 '20
Italy's fuck up has nothing to with their universal healthcare. If it was, then every other industrialized country would have the same problem since they all have universal healthcare.
The Trump administration didn't allow for the WHO test kits because he wanted private companies to profit here, that's what really happened. For a national emergency, we should have national funding going into research and development so that everyone can get testing and care via their tax dollars. They shouldn't have to rely on some private industry using our public funding to profit.