[mter]

> Obama was not caught unprepared during H1N1

Did the US actually do widespread testing for H1N1? Or do anything at all?

My memory of the H1N1 outbreaks are that it was downplayed heavily in the media, and doing nothing was our response. It's pretty easy to do nothing. The way I remember it is that Asia did all of the heavy lifting by quarantining anyone with a fever.

[sonotathrowaway]

Obama tested 1 million Americans the month after h1n1 broke out in America. Your memory seems to be quite selective.

[mter]

> Obama tested 1 million Americans the month after h1n1 broke out in America.

Where is this number from? You aren't the only person that I've seen use it.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-pandemic-tim...

I see 1 million estimated in June 25, then by september we had done 1,000 test kits (which I assume have many samples).

> Your memory seems to be quite selective.

It was 11 years ago. Most of us don't remember what actually happened.

Edit to add: The biggest original difference in testing seems to be that the existing influenza tests worked for H1N1, then were easily modified for H1N1, while producing the corona virus test and running it appears to take far more time + we have shortages in sourcing chemicals because everyone is trying to get those chemicals atm. That 1 million number may be correct since existing tests that everyone can perform may have worked. That doesn't seem to have anything to do with who the president at the time was, or their actions though. I don't see any regulations being lifted/waived to make that happen. Do you remember that being a big deal at the time?