While countries in Europe and Asia spent the first several weeks of the year preparing their healthcare systems and populations for the coronavirus outbreak by stockpiling crucial medical supplies, the Trump administration spent that same time sending dozens of medical shipments overseas as President Donald Trump denied the coronavirus would have much of an impact on the United States.

As The Intercept reported Wednesday, while the new coronavirus ravaged countries including China, Italy, and Iran in February and early March, U.S. manufacturers were sending large shipments of respirators, ventilators, and protective medical equipment to Germany, Belgium, and Japan.

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A "steady flow of the medical equipment needed to treat the coronavirus [was] being shipped abroad as recently as March 17," wrote Lee Fang at The Intercept, while Trump first claimed the severity of the coronavirus pandemic was a "hoax" perpetrated by Democrats, then compared it to the seasonal flu and insisting it would likely disappear once spring arrived.