Before the pandemic, America's public health system was the envy of the world.
In late 2019, the Globe Health Security Index ranked the United States best among 195 nations in terms of being prepared to handle a public health crisis, well ahead of the next best country, the United Kingdom.
That changed fast. A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information less than a year later found the United States ranked "worst globally" in terms of numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
