Coronavirus: US ignored early warning signs, sent medical supplies to China

The USA made one fatal mistake in January before the global coronavirus pandemic took hold. Now it’s come back to bite them.

The US Commerce Department encouraged American manufacturers to sell nearly $18 million in face masks and other protective medical gear to China — even as the coronavirus pushed into the United States, a new analysis shows.

In January and February, US exports of masks and related items to China jumped from $1.4 million to about $17.6 million, more than 1000 per cent compared to the same two months last year, the New York Post reported.

Shipments of ventilators shot up by triple digits.

RELATED : Follow our live coronavirus updates here

The USA distributed masks and other essential medical supplies to China to spin a profit. Picture: Emilio Morenatti/AP

The federal government began pushing the gear in a Commerce Department flyer entitled “CS China COVID Procurement Service”, published on February 26 — the day when COVID-19 deaths had reached 2,770, nearly all in China.

A few days later, on March 3, an official in the US Embassy in Beijing told colleagues about the “new service” being offered, according to an email.

Ventilators such as this were also sold to China in January and February, as per the advice of the Commerce Department.

Texas Democrat Lloyd Doggett, who obtained the flyer and other Commerce Department communications, said the move underscored the Trump administration’s failure to act on the threat of a pandemic.

“Instead of taking steps to prepare, they ignored the advice of one expert after another,” Mr Doggett said.

“People right now, as we speak, are dying because there have been inadequate supplies of PPE.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission