Recovery

Reading between the lines of the COVID19 databases of distribution, geographic concentration and death rates world wide, one can imagine differences in public health systems, technology and the quality of healthcare systems. Discounting the false information from China, Germany comes out on top with lower death rate per case and per population with the US not far behind. In my view, these numbers credit the medical technology in Germany and maybe a superior public health and healthcare system. S Korea’s favorable response may reflect a more disciplined population response based on prior experience with similar epidemics. Logistics looms as a huge factor delaying response in the US, necessary protective and treatment items nearly all imported.

Recovery demands, continued safeguards until widespread vaccination and more effective treatment. Additionally, three priorities emerge.

• Education
• Healthcare 
• Logistics

Education in cooperation, discipline and knowledge, not just the virus, but our culture, our government and our constitution. Our education system lags far behind both Asia and Europe. We need lower cost education and much mo re of it.

Likewise, our healthcare system, despite the high tech quality centers, lages far behind in relation to Europe and Japan. The public health system especially and outcomes reflect this weakness.  We need our states to redevelop high quality and imposing public health as well as medical education. Our greed driven, hospital, drug company, insurance and central government bureaucratic health care system needs overhaul. Perhaps along the lines of Germany and France, or doing one better in partnership with States. One size or system does not fit all.

Logistics poses an obvious problem, both for security and economic survival. We need to secure, not just our borders, but ports, our shipping, and our transportation. Air carriers may need subsidizing as in the past to insure their viability, safety and passenger health. Over crowded passenger sections must end affording adequate personal space, ventilation and air quality. Transportation is vital, but over crowding must end. High speed ground transportation could ease the over crowding of air travel.