Photos from 10 countries around the world show why most Americans say they are 'embarrassed' by the US coronavirus response

Hilary BrueckSep 5, 2020, 18:00 IST

Infection rates in China and New Zealand are so low that people can get cheek-to-cheek without risking much. The same can't be said in the US.Getty Images

Countries like China and New Zealand have learned how to dance effectively with the coronavirus, minimizing and controlling their outbreaks.
But the US has not, and still carries the unenviable distinction of tallying the most confirmed coronavirus cases of any country, and the most deaths.
Here's a glimpse into 9 other countries around the globe that are dealing with the pandemic far better than America is right now.
They include New Zealand, China, Senegal, Ghana, Spain, France, Mexico, India, and South Korea.

No place on Earth has logged more coronavirus infections or more deaths than the United States.

In China — where the outbreak began — people are gathering without masks, because the risk of catching COVID-19 (the disease caused by the virus) is so low.

In India, where cases are spiking, the government is rushing out mobile testing centers — no bigger than a food truck — which deliver results to residents for free, in minutes.

Most Americans, when asked, say their country's response to the virus makes them feel "embarrassed" and an overwhelming majority are angry, expressing frustration that more isn't being done to fight the pandemic on their shores, according to a recent CNN poll.

Here's a glimpse at how nine other countries are more effectively tackling the virus's global spread, and how America stacks up:

In Wuhan, China, more than 1 million children went back to school this week.

Students listen to a speech by a doctor in a ceremony kicking off the new semester in Wuhan, China, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

There are no confirmed coronavirus cases in the city of Wuhan, or surrounding area, so the kids don't always need to wear masks.

Students take part in the opening ceremony of a new semester at Wuhan High School in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, September 1, 2020. Xiao Yijiu/Xinhua via Getty Images

Back in the US, hundreds of students have already contracted the virus, after returning to class mask-free.

A photo showing a packed hallway at North Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia, on August 3, 2020. Hannah Watters/Twitter

Only a few dozen new cases of the virus are being diagnosed nationwide in China every day.

Residents and tourists drink beer on the first weekend after the opening of the 30th Qingdao International Beer Festival in Shandong Province, China, August 1, 2020. Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Many of the cases being diagnosed in China now are imported by travelers from abroad.

Women wearing traditional clothing posing for photos as they visit a night market in Wuhan, China on August 27, 2020. STR/AFP via Getty Images

In South Korea, high-tech thermal camera temperature checks are the new norm. They're not perfect at pinpointing infections, but it's one part of a multi-pronged strategy.

South Korean actress Eugene walks through a thermal camera system to check her body temperature as she arrives on the red carpet of the 56th annual Daejong Film Awards in Seoul on June 3, 2020 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images

In South Korea, high-tech thermal camera temperature checks are the new norm. They're not perfect at pinpointing infections, but it's one part of a multi-pronged strategy.

South Korea is also using ample testing and contact tracing.

A coronavirus testing station in Seoul on August 26, 2020. Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images

Contact tracing in the US has been hard to carry out as well as South Korea's, in large part because the country's testing system is also flawed.

Medical student Rebecca DeCarlo conducts a follow-up interview with a person being monitored by the Georgia Department of Public Health for infection or exposure to the coronavirus in Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. AP Photo/Russ Bynum

In the US, coronavirus cases are still spreading rapidly across many states.

Motorists line up at a drive-through site to collect samples for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic testing in Leesburg, Virginia, May 20, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

South Dakota was recently host to a major motorcycle rally in August, where more than 400,000 bikers mingled.

Every year up to three quarters of a million bikers ride through the scenic Black Hills to Sturgis, South Dakota for its annual motorcycle rally. Jim Urquhart for Insider

In India, where the virus is also spreading fast, the World Health Organization praised one state for its efforts to control the coronavirus.

A health worker takes a swab sample from a man to test for the coronavirus, as cases continue to spike, at a swab collection center in Guwahati, India on August 31, 2020. Biju Boro/AFP via Getty Images

Blow-up clinics are also being used to screen patients, as time is of the essence.

Medical staff from the Tata Memorial Hospital walk past a temporary health facility, which is being used to screen patients for COVID-19 in Mumbai, India on July 30, 2020. Photo by Himanshu Bhatt/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Mobile testing vans that can deliver results to people on the street (for free, in as little as 15 minutes) are being dispatched by the Indian government.

This mobile COVID-19 testing van takes nasal swab samples from patients for Rapid Antigen Testing at Vijay Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi Marg on August 30, 2020 in New Delhi. Mayank Makhija/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In the US, patients have received surprise medical bills for thousands of dollars after going in for tests and treatment that were supposed to be free.

Lindsay Hill's medical bill. She tried to find out whether she had the coronavirus, but was never tested. Courtesy of Lindsay Hill.

In France, where coronavirus transmission is still a concern, both students and their teachers are required to wear masks at school this year.

A pupil wearing a protective mask holds a wrapped mask in a classroom at Françoise-Giroud middle school in Vincennes, east of Paris, on September 1, 2020, on the first day of the school year. Martin Bureau/AFP via Getty Images

In the US, where masks are not mandatory at school, one 72-year-old cancer survivor is offering extra credit to his students who wear masks.

Students wearing face masks arrive at Delaware Valley High School on the first day of school, September 2, 2020. Preston Ehrler/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Not everyone in France is keen on the new mask mandates. This woman is protesting by writing the word "useless" in French on her mask. But, she's still wearing it.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered to protest against mask wearing in Paris, France on August 29, 2020. Julien Mattia/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Tour de France riders are likewise required to mask up this year, whenever they're not racing.

The Astana pro team adhering to COVID-19 safety measures during the 107th Tour de France on September 1, 2020 in Orcieres, France. Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Worried about a growing number of confirmed infections being reported in recent weeks in Spain, health workers in the northern port city of A Coruña have started testing all young adults.

A nurse holds up a coronavirus test that she performed on a young man on September 1, 2020 in A Coruña, Spain. More than 3,500 young people between 22 and 25 years old have been summoned to be tested for Covid-19 at the CHUAC University Hospital. Xurxo Lobato/Getty Images

Worried about a growing number of confirmed infections being reported in recent weeks in Spain, health workers in the northern port city of A Coruña have started testing all young adults.

Meanwhile in the US, CDC director Robert Redfield recently said "everyone who wants a test does not necessarily need a test."

Left: Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Right: A healthcare worker gives another a shoulder rub before they go back into the the COVID-19 Unit at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas, July 2, 2020. Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images, Mark Felix/AFP

Many people in the US still wait multiple days to get their test results back. Bill Gates said it makes the nation's testing system "absolutely useless."

People wait in line in their cars to get tested for COVID-19 at Roseland Community Hospital on April 3, 2020. E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

In Ghana, drones help deliver test samples to labs from remote health centers.

Steven, a bag seller, poses for a photograph by a wall close to his shop after partial lockdown in parts of Ghana to halt the spread of the coronavirus was lifted in Accra on April 20, 2020. Nipah Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

Scientists in Senegal have been testing out a new kind of rapid coronavirus test this summer, which would cost $1, and could deliver results in 10 minutes.

A hygienist is seen inside a decontamination area in a coronavirus treatment centre that cares for positive patients that show few or no symptoms, in Dakar on June 26, 2020. John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images

Senegal also promised early-on in the pandemic that it would aim to provide a hospital bed to every coronavirus patient, and offer isolation to their close contacts, too.

A hygienist rests as he waits outside a decontamination area in a coronavirus treatment centre that cares for positive patients that show mild or no symptoms, in Dakar on June 26, 2020. John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images

Senegal also promised early-on in the pandemic that it would aim to provide a hospital bed to every coronavirus patient, and offer isolation to their close contacts, too.

It's a stark contrast to the US, where people seeking care for severe infections have often been turned away, told to stay home and rest.

Aria Bendix/Business Insider

Ghana is also stepping up manufacturing of PPE for the coronavirus, with factories commissioned by the government to manufacture more protective gear for healthcare workers.

Factory workers check PPE made for coronavirus frontline health workers at a factory commissioned by the government, in Accra, on April 17, 2020. Nipah Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

Ghana is also stepping up manufacturing of PPE for the coronavirus, with factories commissioned by the government to manufacture more protective gear for healthcare workers.

In the US, many first responders have had to pay for their own protective gear, or resort to trash bags, and defective gowns from the government.

Brendan Williams/New Hampshire Health Care Association

In Senegal, worshippers conduct their prayers outside, where there's plenty of air circulation.

Followers of the Layene community wore protective masks as they prayed on the beach in front of the Yoff Layene Mosque on May 24, 2020 in Dakar, Senegal. John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images

While in the US, reopened churches have played host to several major coronavirus superspreader events.

Parishioners wear face masks as they attend an in-person Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas, on May 19, 2020. San Antonio parishes that have been closed during the pandemic have began opening their doors to in-person services. Eric Gay/AP Photo

South of the border, in Matamoros, Mexico, roughly 1,500 people are living in tents, awaiting asylum hearings. Very few have gotten the virus.

In Matamoros, Mexico on the US border, 1,500 asylum seekers living in tents await their hearings. These July 13, 2020 photos show a couple wearing face masks waiting outside their isolation tent (right), and a yellow fence demarcating the edge of the isolation area. Lexie Harrison-Cripps/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Just north of them, across the Rio Grande, Texas continues to lead the nation in coronavirus cases, adding more than 33,500 new cases last week (only California had more).

Medical staff wearing full PPE push a stretcher with a deceased patient to a car outside of the Covid-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center on June 30, 2020 in Houston, Texas. Go Nakamura/Getty Images

Just north of them, across the Rio Grande, Texas continues to lead the nation in coronavirus cases, adding more than 33,500 new cases last week (only California had more).

In New Zealand, where reopenings were not as rushed as in Texas, the country had an enviable run of 102 days virus-free starting June 8.

People cheer at the start of a 5K run around Western Springs Park on July 4, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. Phil Walter/Getty Images

From June 8 to August 11, New Zealanders kissed and hugged blissfully, having eliminated the virus from their shores entirely.

Sue Eng is reunited with her 8 month old grandson Soren Walter on May 14, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand, after two months of lockdown. Phil Walter/Getty Images

Even when the virus did return in August, New Zealand had a clear plan in place to control it.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wears a mask meeting Auckland Mayor Phil Goff during a visit to Crave Cafe on August 31, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. Face coverings are now compulsory for all New Zealanders over the age of 12 on public transport or planes under current Alert Level restrictions in place across the country. Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Many Americans still grumble about an action as simple and effective as putting their masks on.

Left: workers protest a lack of PPE and sick pay in the Bronx, New York, on April 17, 2020. Right: a pro-Trump, anti-mask protester. Giles Clarke/Getty Images, Sergio Flores/Getty Images

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who is recovering from COVID, agrees with Gates: It's time for America to mask up, and for all politicians to start taking this pandemic seriously.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is recovering from COVID-19, along with his wife, and two girls. Art Streiber/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who is recovering from COVID, agrees with Gates: It's time for America to mask up, and for all politicians to start taking this pandemic seriously.

3 charts show what people around world think about COVID-19 vaccines — and reveal stark differences between countries

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Photos from 10 countries around the world show why most Americans say they are 'embarrassed' by the US coronavirus response

In Wuhan, China, more than 1 million children went back to school this week.

There are no confirmed coronavirus cases in the city of Wuhan, or surrounding area, so the kids don't always need to wear masks.

Back in the US, hundreds of students have already contracted the virus, after returning to class mask-free.

Only a few dozen new cases of the virus are being diagnosed nationwide in China every day.

Many of the cases being diagnosed in China now are imported by travelers from abroad.

In South Korea, high-tech thermal camera temperature checks are the new norm. They're not perfect at pinpointing infections, but it's one part of a multi-pronged strategy.

South Korea is also using ample testing and contact tracing.

Contact tracing in the US has been hard to carry out as well as South Korea's, in large part because the country's testing system is also flawed.

In the US, coronavirus cases are still spreading rapidly across many states.

South Dakota was recently host to a major motorcycle rally in August, where more than 400,000 bikers mingled.

In India, where the virus is also spreading fast, the World Health Organization praised one state for its efforts to control the coronavirus.

Blow-up clinics are also being used to screen patients, as time is of the essence.

Mobile testing vans that can deliver results to people on the street (for free, in as little as 15 minutes) are being dispatched by the Indian government.

In the US, patients have received surprise medical bills for thousands of dollars after going in for tests and treatment that were supposed to be free.

In France, where coronavirus transmission is still a concern, both students and their teachers are required to wear masks at school this year.

In the US, where masks are not mandatory at school, one 72-year-old cancer survivor is offering extra credit to his students who wear masks.

Not everyone in France is keen on the new mask mandates. This woman is protesting by writing the word "useless" in French on her mask. But, she's still wearing it.

Tour de France riders are likewise required to mask up this year, whenever they're not racing.

Worried about a growing number of confirmed infections being reported in recent weeks in Spain, health workers in the northern port city of A Coruña have started testing all young adults.

Meanwhile in the US, CDC director Robert Redfield recently said "everyone who wants a test does not necessarily need a test."

Many people in the US still wait multiple days to get their test results back. Bill Gates said it makes the nation's testing system "absolutely useless."

In Ghana, drones help deliver test samples to labs from remote health centers.

Scientists in Senegal have been testing out a new kind of rapid coronavirus test this summer, which would cost $1, and could deliver results in 10 minutes.

Senegal also promised early-on in the pandemic that it would aim to provide a hospital bed to every coronavirus patient, and offer isolation to their close contacts, too.

It's a stark contrast to the US, where people seeking care for severe infections have often been turned away, told to stay home and rest.

Ghana is also stepping up manufacturing of PPE for the coronavirus, with factories commissioned by the government to manufacture more protective gear for healthcare workers.

In the US, many first responders have had to pay for their own protective gear, or resort to trash bags, and defective gowns from the government.

In Senegal, worshippers conduct their prayers outside, where there's plenty of air circulation.

While in the US, reopened churches have played host to several major coronavirus superspreader events.

South of the border, in Matamoros, Mexico, roughly 1,500 people are living in tents, awaiting asylum hearings. Very few have gotten the virus.

Just north of them, across the Rio Grande, Texas continues to lead the nation in coronavirus cases, adding more than 33,500 new cases last week (only California had more).

In New Zealand, where reopenings were not as rushed as in Texas, the country had an enviable run of 102 days virus-free starting June 8.

From June 8 to August 11, New Zealanders kissed and hugged blissfully, having eliminated the virus from their shores entirely.

Even when the virus did return in August, New Zealand had a clear plan in place to control it.

Many Americans still grumble about an action as simple and effective as putting their masks on.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who is recovering from COVID, agrees with Gates: It's time for America to mask up, and for all politicians to start taking this pandemic seriously.