How did Florida get so badly hit by Covid-19?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53357742

 

"There's a lot of misinformation all over the web about the seriousness of this outbreak," says Dr Aileen Marty, a Florida International University infectious disease expert who has been working with state officials on the pandemic response. She says this is partly why Florida is now among the worst-hit regions.

"Since we don't have a consistent message in our state, let alone our country, there's even more confusion."

The Republican governor has also downplayed the severity of Florida's outbreak by pointing to the increase in testing and younger Floridians being infected - particularly those aged 25 to 34 - as well as a lower death rate.

"Generally, deaths follow about two weeks behind when we get the positive tests," Dr Marty explains. She pushes back against the notion that America is doing well with deaths from this virus, saying even looking at just the raw data shows the nationwide rate - around 5.6% - is concerning.

"That's considering the fact that we're better at it now than we were," she adds. "We're getting people in beds sooner, moving people to ICUs sooner."

Testing, despite delays in getting results, has also aided mitigation. Medication is helping, though Florida has run out of the Remdesivir antiviral drug and is awaiting new shipments.

"I just don't understand people who say our death rate is great," Dr Marty says.

The median age of infections in Miami-Dade County, the state's most populous region, is 40. In Tallahassee, the median recently hit a low of 25 years old.