As it became clear that Europe was heading into another deadly wave of the coronavirus, most of the continent returned to lockdown. European leaders pushed largely similar messages, asking citizens to take measures to protect one another again, and governments offered broad financial support.

Weeks later, the effort seems to be working and infection rates are slowing.

In several parts of the United States, it’s a different story. In the Midwest, which is experiencing an explosion of cases similar to that seen earlier in Europe, leaders have not yet managed to come up with a coherent approach to loosen the virus’s grip.

Is it too late for America to learn the lessons from Europe?

Guests: Matina Stevis-Gridneff, who covers the European Union for The New York Times, and Mitch Smith, a national correspondent for The Times based in the Midwest.

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Background reading:

• Much of Europe went back into lockdown late last month to try to stop the spread of the virus and ease the strain on hospitals.
• After weeks of warnings that cases were again on the rise, a third surge of coronavirus infection has firmly taken hold in the United States.
• As cases grow, the pandemic is becoming so widespread in the United States that every American will know someone who has been infected.