In many respects, COVID-19 is all the U.S. health care system can handle, and more. As of Thursday, 159,000 Americans had succumbed to the disease.

Though enormous progress has been made since the pandemic first breached U.S. defenses last winter, challenges remain. Among them is processing of COVID-19 test kits. Some states have reported delays of as much as two weeks in informing people whether they tested positive or negative.

In many ways, we in this country are better equipped than those in most other countries to battle the disease, however. Even some developed countries are suffering badly. For example, the United Kingdom had recorded 46,286 coronavirus deaths by Sunday. France’s total was 30,268. Both countries’ populations are approximately one-fifth that of the United States.

Meanwhile, our southern neighbor, Mexico, is being ravaged by COVID-19. As of Sunday, the disease had killed 47,472 Mexicans. The death rate there is far higher than in the United States.

Health experts are calling for changes that would allow more people to get tested and know their results quicker. Those are worthy goals and our political leaders should work to help ensure it comes to fruition.