"Failure of an American ideology" contributed to 1 mln COVID-19 deaths in U.S.: The Guardian

LONDON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- As the United States records 1 million deaths from COVID-19, experts note underinvestment in long-term care, primary care and public health all contributed to the toll, British daily The Guardian has reported.

Over 1 million people in the United States have died from COVID-19, the highest death rate from the pandemic among large wealthy countries.

The virus's outsized impact on the country can be attributed in part to underinvestment in long-term care, in primary care and in public health departments, said the report.

As a result, some people were more vulnerable to the virus and had little connection to -- or trust in -- the healthcare providers who urged them to socially distance, to wear masks and to get vaccinated, the British newspaper reported, citing public health experts.

"This is more than just a failure of a health system," said David Rosner, who studies public health and social history at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. "It's a failure of an American ideology."