We are behind in testing because our administration failed to plan properly for a pandemic. It was obvious that one would come eventually. There was a Pandemic planning commission, dissolved by the administration who didn’t read the science. CDC made a mistake with their test. This happens. But there was no one in the administration with a Plan B, a requirement for all critical planning elements.
They could have recovered. WHO made their test available. We didn’t ask for it. Other countries had tests we could have used. We didn’t ask.
Instead, we chose to go private, perhaps so certain companies could take a windfall? (This is unproven but provides a possible motive.)
Anyway, we didn’t plan to succeed, so we failed at the #1 task in an epidemic. We had poor leadership at the federal level. That’s the bottom line.
It did not have to be this way. And people have died and many more will die because of it.
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