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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe accompanying\nreport states[1]<\/a>:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…the\nGlobal Health Security Index was released and it examined whether countries\nacross the world are prepared to deal with an epidemic or pandemic. The topic\nwas thrust into the spotlight in 2014 when an Ebola outbreak devastated parts\nof West Africa, killing more than 10,000 people. That prompted many other\ncountries to boost their levels of preparation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe\nindex analyzes those preparation levels by focusing on whether countries have\nthe proper tools in place to deal with large scale outbreaks of disease.\nMeasured on a scale of 0 to 100 where 100 is the highest level of preparedness,\nthe United States came first, followed by the United Kingdom and the\nNetherlands. Unsurprisingly, higher income countries tended to record better\nscores in the index.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n President\nTrump made a point noting the United States has the premier research and\ndisease management agency in the world, the Centers for Disease Control and\nPrevention (CDC). The CDC \u201cis the\nleading national public health institute of the United States. The CDC is a United States federal agency\nunder the Department of Health and Human Services and is headquartered in\nAtlanta, Georgia.\u201d [2]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n As\neveryone will point out (both foreign and domestic critics), the United States\nhas an \u201cexpensive\u201d healthcare industry, but we also have a deep and diverse\nhealthcare infrastructure, supply chain and delivery system. It is also incredibly well interconnected and\nother than for \u201cprice\u201d (another sore issue for me) is relatively transparent;\nfor instance, we know the number of prescriptions each doctor writes. We know how much a doctor gets paid and what\nprocedures they bill Medicare, and all their credentials are displayed in\nnumerous platforms. Furthermore, we know\nthat hospitals are highly regulated, certified and inspected regularly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are\ntaking this threat of the COVID-19 virus seriously just as we take the exposure\nto the seasonal flu very seriously. In\nthe United States, we average about 40,000 annual deaths from the flu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder\nif the extra precautions taken for the COVID-19 virus may reduce normal late season\nflu patterns? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Healthcare\nin most countries is a cost item, as it is in the United States; however, it is\nalso a business. I will close this blog\nwith two more facts; first from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. [3]<\/a> \n\nThe median annual wage for\nhealthcare practitioners and technical occupations (such as registered nurses,\nphysicians and surgeons, and dental hygienists) was $66,440 in May \n\n 2018,\nwhich was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations in the economy\nof $38,640.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondly,\nthe statistics on deaths associated with the COVID-19 virus are showing a\nmarked difference in countries with a robust healthcare system and those\nwithout, i.e., China and Iran in the following chart.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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