NYT:U.S. Has Far Higher Covid Death Rate Than Other Wealthy Countries

[DBoon]

With American lawmakers desperate to turn the page on the pandemic, as some European leaders have already begun to, the number of dead has clouded a sense of optimism, even as Omicron cases recede. And it has laid bare weaknesses in the country’s response, scientists said.

“Death rates are so high in the States — eye-wateringly high,” said Devi Sridhar, head of the global public health program at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, who has supported loosening coronavirus rules in parts of Britain. “The United States is lagging.”

Some of the reasons for America’s difficulties are well known. Despite having one of the world’s most powerful arsenals of vaccines, the country has failed to vaccinate as many people as other large, wealthy nations. Crucially, vaccination rates in older people also lag behind certain European nations.

The United States has fallen even further behind in administering booster shots, leaving large numbers of vulnerable people with fading protection as Omicron sweeps across the country.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/02/01/science/covid-deaths-united-states.html

[Turbineguy]

1. But look at how many people want it that way.

[bullwinkle428]

2. Direct correlation with the vax rate in the U.S. Sometimes, Occam's Razor

is quite effective regarding a cause & effect relationship.

[Ocelot II]

3. I found it interesting - irritating, actually - that this article doesn't even mention

the fact that in the US especially there are many people who have refused to be vaccinated, and there are politicians and pundits who are actively working against vaccinations. They made it sound like it's some weird mystery that people in the US are dropping like flies while in other first-world countries they aren't, implying that for some reason people can't get vaccinated. Duh, NYT, it's because people won't get vaccinated even though vaccines are free and available to everyone! It might be nice if you would mention that salient point.

[RobinA]

5. I Agree With Your Irritation

I take exception to "the country [US] has failed to vaccinate" language. It implies that there is a systemic problem with getting people vaccinated, which there is not at this point in time and there hasn't been for awhile. We've had our problems with COVID, many in fact. But right now if you are healthy and mobile you can get vaccinated.

[SoCalDavidS]

4. Shithole Country nt