Just a few months ago, the coronavirus epidemic in the United States was serious, but the situation was not so different in Europe. Now, once hard-hit European countries like Italy, the United Kingdom, France and Spain have brought their epidemics under control while the situation in the United States is still grim.
There is much to learn from the affected countries that have managed to turn the tide, as well as from those that were so fast and organized that they have virtually eradicated the virus.
Here are some tips from abroad on how Americans can progress.
Don't party like it was in 1999
It can be tempting to spend July 4th with dozens of friends at a bar, pool, or house party. But from what we know of how the virus spreads, getting together in large groups, especially indoors, could be dangerous.
In South Korea, celebrated for providing a model response to the virus, the reopening of nightclubs in the capital, Seoul, led to an increase in the number of cases in May. The city was forced to close all bars and clubs soon after.
The difference is that South Korea had the virus so well controlled and had a test and trace system so well oiled that the authorities were able to contact most of those affected and contain the cluster of cases.
Increases in the number of cases in the United States have also forced closings, but many states do not have enough contact tracers in place to ensure the same containment.
We also know, even from the American experience, that bars and nightclubs can be a breeding ground for the spread of the virus. More than 150 cases have been linked to a Michigan bar.
Reopening plans have varied from state to state, but overall, America has reopened much faster than the affected countries in Europe. In the UK, for example, pubs will not start reopening until Saturday, 15 weeks after they close, and as the UK curve clears flat. You can no longer say that about the curve in the United States, and the bars in many states have been open for a long time.
Arizona closed reception facilities on March 20. But since restaurants were allowed to reopen on May 11, many Phoenix subway bar owners found a loophole in serving food so they could also reopen. Essentially, there were only seven weeks of bars closed, compared to 15 in the UK. Arizona now has one of the most dramatic peaks in the country.
So not visiting indoor sites with a large crowd this weekend will no doubt help prevent the spread of the virus. In many states, the number of crowds is limited to less than 100, or 50, or even 10, and some have forced bars to close again.
Wear this mask
There have been many mixed messages about whether wearing a mask protects you from transmission or capture of Covid-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) not initially recommending use of face covers. In the United States, the issue has also been politicized - - President Trump is never photographed wearing it and is hesitant to tell the Americans to do so.
But the tide is turning. Health experts now widely agree that masks are useful, especially when a virus is spread in communities. The WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommend the use of a mask in public spaces.
Several studies show that wearing face covers is effective, but they still have to be peer reviewed and there is simply no existing data on their success in this pandemic.
However, it has been repeatedly pointed out that some Asian countries more used to responding to infectious respiratory diseases have a widespread use of the mask in their populations, a practice which, according to studies, has helped prevent transmission during the epidemic. SARS in 2003. SARS is a respiratory disease also caused by a type of coronavirus.
Outside of Asia, Germany was one of the fastest countries to adopt the mandatory use of the mask nationwide, while much of the world was still debating its effectiveness. There are several reasons for Germany's success in keeping its death rate low and slowing its infections, but at least part of its success has been attributed to wearing face covers.
Even Trump's most loyal supporters, including Vice President Mike Pence, are starting to wear face covers. Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday ordered most people in the state to hide in public, as the state's experience is one of the worst in numbers in the country . Other states, such as California, have also posted public service announcements encouraging people to wear them.
Even if your state has not made it mandatory to wear a mask, if you know there are cases in your community, you can still wear one. There are even easy ways to make them yourself.
Get tested if you think you should
At the start of the epidemic, it was virtually impossible to get tested in the United States unless you were hospitalized. This has changed and although there may be obstacles, the tests are more accessible than they were before.
President Trump has advanced the rebutted argument that the country should cut the number of tests to keep its caseload low. WHO has reiterated that testing is essential to keep the virus under control. The places that have had some of the most successful responses - South Korea, Germany, Iceland, New Zealand and Australia - among others, have all tested at a high rate.
The CDC's advice is that if you have symptoms, you should call your healthcare professional and ask if the test is recommended. Even some asymptomatic people should be tested in certain specific circumstances.
For example, in Florida, White House Coronavirus coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx has urged all Floridians who have attended mass rallies in the past four weeks to be tested, even if they do not have symptoms.
Quarantine when asked (and sometimes even when you are not)
Widespread testing goes hand in hand with efficient tracking, monitoring and quarantine systems.
The idea is that anyone who has recently been in contact with an infected person will be notified by the authorities and asked to quarantine, usually for 14 days. This means that if you have been infected, even if you have no symptoms, you are unlikely to pass it on to someone outside your home.
The United States as a whole is struggling to put in place enough contact tracers to have an efficient and operational system, as are some other countries, including the United Kingdom. The CDC aimed to have 30 contact tracers per 100,000 people in the country.
According to Nephron Research, an independent health care research firm that monitors contact tracing in the states, only six states and the District of Columbia have crossed that threshold. These are: Utah (37), South Dakota (39), New York (49), North Dakota (46), Nebraska (38), Massachusetts (36) and the District of Columbia (42 ). All other states are underserved, which means cases are likely to go undetected.
This is particularly concerning for eight states that are hotspots for Covid-19: Nevada (13), Florida (7), Arizona (5), Idaho (14), Texas (11), Tennessee (9), Georgia (2 ) and South Carolina (8).
If your state has not yet established an effective contact tracing system, there is no reason why you cannot request a test if you think you may have been in contact with an infected person.
In the meantime, it might be a good idea to keep your July 4 plans modest and continue to practice social distancing until the United States controls the virus.
CNN's Jacqueline Howard and Natalie Croker contributed to this report.
