logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2020
23m 51s

Why did the USA fail in its initial coro...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

‘It’s a failing, let's admit it’ says top health official, Dr Anthony Fauci. He’s talking about the fact that it took a month for a working coronavirus test to be rolled out around the country, while other countries were testing thousands of people. How was this allowed to happen? In this edition of The Inquiry, we explore the ways in which the US lost valuable time in dealing with the coronavirus and how their health system could make things more difficult still.

(A cleaning crew adjusts protective clothing as they prepare to enter the Nursing Home in Kirkland, Seattle Washington which has had the most deaths due to COVID-19 in the USA.Credit:John Moore/Getty Images)

Up next
Aug 19
Can Indonesia afford free lunches?
Children in Indonesia are now receiving free school meals — part of a bold new plan by President Prabowo Subianto to tackle malnutrition. Around one in five children in the country are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age. The lunch programme is central to Prabowo’s ... Show More
22m 59s
Aug 12
How are drones changing the landscape of modern warfare?
When the war in Ukraine began back in February 2022, the remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle or drone as its commonly known, was peripheral to the conflict. But three years on, the drone in all its shapes and sizes has taken on a central role in this battle, in the air, on ... Show More
22m 59s
Aug 5
What does Syria’s recent conflict tell us about al-Sharaa’s presidency?
In July, a brutal highway hijacking in southern Syria sparked tit-for-tat clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters. During the week-long violence, over a thousand people were killed and more than 125,000 displaced. Syrian government forces and Israel also entered the conflict.T ... Show More
22m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2021
The huge coronavirus challenge facing America's new President
Joe Biden has been sworn into office early this morning and now faces a monstrous battle to get COVID under any semblance of control. Yesterday, according to Johns Hopkins University, the US recorded more than 400,000 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began. As the weeks pass ... Show More
11m 10s
Mar 2020
Why the American Approach Is Failing
So far, the United States has been losing the battle against the pandemic, with a patchwork of inconsistent measures across the country proving unequal to halting the spread of the virus. Today, we ask: What will it take to change the course of the crisis?Guest: Donald G. McNeil ... Show More
28m 57s
Feb 2020
The Coronavirus Goes Global
What began as a public health crisis in China is well on the way to becoming a pandemic. And while there is a lot of news about the coronavirus, there is also a lack of understanding about the severity of the threat. As officials warn of a potential outbreak in the U.S., we ask: ... Show More
23m 28s
Jul 2020
Fauci: U.S. may need to “reset” as virus spirals out of control
As Covid-19 cases continue to rise throughout the South and Southwest of the U.S., White House Task Force Member Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested the country might need to “reset.” At least 27 states have paused or rolled back their re-openings as the U.S. recently saw the highest dai ... Show More
46 m
Feb 2020
Here's How The U.S. Is Responding To Coronavirus
United States health officials delivered a clear message Tuesday: serious measures could be required to stem the new coronavirus. One top official described the spread of the disease in the U.S. as inevitable. That tone is in clear contrast to the messages coming from the White H ... Show More
13m 21s
Jan 2021
Why Are U.S. Coronavirus Cases Falling? And Will the Trend Last?
The number of new coronavirus cases in the United States is falling, but has the country turned a corner in the pandemic? And what kind of threats do the new variants pose to people and to the vaccine rollout?Today, we discuss the latest in the quest to stamp out the pandemic.  G ... Show More
26m 17s