They didn't have vaccines for medical people and they had very high infection rate. You can only reallocate medical resources like China and Asia if you use strict lockdowns that restrict travel on the ground. You could see the first wave hit those areas that most had travel with China and Europe and subsequent wave hit the South and Midwest after the West and Northeast reopened. They didn't have really effective experimental treatments till about 6 months after the pandemic. The vaccines generally keep people out of hospitals unless they have a weak immune system. That's addressed with booster shots.
[Post edited by lchoro at 11/29/2021 3:05PM]