March 17, 2021
The United States and the European Union have comparable population sizes, but the trajectories of their COVID-19 outbreaks in recent months have been quite different. While the US experienced a full-blown third wave of the pandemic after the winter holiday season, factors including the roll out of a competent vaccine drive have resulted in a significant decline in COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. In Europe, however, cases are rising exponentially in many places, and many countries are again resorting to strict lockdown measures to curb the virus' spread. The EU has been widely criticized for bungling the vaccine rollout, which is likely to result in unavoidable deaths and economic pain. Here's a look at the seven-day rolling average of new COVID-19 cases, and three-day rolling averages of new deaths and new deaths per capita in the EU vs the US over the past year.