Over 1.6 million coronavirus cases and nearly 100,000 deaths in the U.S. – I think most of us are very shocked at how America, the largest economy in the world and a great country in the eyes of many, has got to this point.

It's already May and people worldwide have been wearing masks for months, yet many in the U.S. are still debating whether it is essential. People refuse to put their mask on when entering public places, using freedom as an excuse.

Countries that were hit hard are either recovering or seeing a flattening curve, yet numbers are still rising in the U.S.

All this oddity is making people wonder – why is U.S. a little behind in its response to COVID-19?

To find out what led to this mess, let's back up a bit.

Director/On-cam reporter: Li Jingjing

Cinematographer: Qi Jianqiang

Video Editor: Yang Shengjie

Researcher: Chen Haomin

Producer: Wen Yaru

Chief Editor: Wang Xin

Supervisor: Zhang Shilei