David Leonhardt of NY Times Slams US Political Response, with US at 20 times S Korea's Death Rate

China and S Korea flattened their curves. Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands have begun to do so. USA has not. 1/2  of US CV cases in US were diagnosed in past 5 days. 3,000+ US have died, a death toll exceeding 9/11. The other 3 countries with the largest number of confirmed cases (Italy, China and Spain) made progress at a similar point.

Trump: 2  months denying virus was a problem, spreading incorrect information about it. (Yesterday, he said that masks were “going out the back door," suggesting that doctors or somebody else were stealing the masks.)

State leaders (Democrats, like Gov. Jay Inslee in Washington State, and Republicans, like Gov. Larry Hogan, in Maryland)  have done a better job. United States is badly behind. Both S Korea and the US had their first confirmed case around the same day, in late January; S Korea has suffered 150 deaths, 5%  as United States.