Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) | November 10, 2020
Read the PublicationPresident-elect Joseph Biden has a historic opportunity to reset the US response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but it is unrealistic to expect a sharp turnaround, given steep spikes in cases and deaths. Since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the US, the federal government has undermined science, conveyed confusing health messages, politicized public health agencies, and sowed distrust. Despite being ranked by the Global Health Security Index as first in pandemic preparedness before COVID-19, the US has been among the world’s worst performers, with the most cases and deaths.