Californians have been ordered to stay home. The border with Canada is closed to non-essential traffic. Donald Trump says he now considers himself a “wartime president”. But, for now, the enemy remains invisible. Only 4% of Americans report knowing someone who has tested positive for covid-19. Is the US healthcare system prepared for the coming offensive?

John Prideaux, our US editor, talks to Alok Jha, The Economist’s science correspondent, former CDC head Dr Tom Frieden, and Charlotte Howard, New York bureau chief. Washington correspondent Jon Fasman asks what lessons the rest of the US can learn from New Rochelle, NY, one of the first communities to experience an outbreak.

Read The Economist’s full coverage of the coronavirus.

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