Unprepared and Divided: How America Bungled the COVID Response

The U.S. health care infrastructure and government agencies were ill-equipped to handle a health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Policy failures, lack of coordination, and mixed messaging characterized the government's pandemic response, leading to excess deaths and economic hardship.
Operation Warp Speed succeeded in speeding up vaccine development but was an isolated bright spot in an otherwise disastrous response.
Toxic partisanship and politics worsened outcomes as public health measures became politicized and undermined.
Reforms are needed to strengthen governance, improve early warning systems, and develop coordinated national responses to future crises.