Washington, Oct 23 (IANS): The US' faltering response to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in 130,000 to 210,000 deaths that could have been avoided, according to a report by the Columbia University.

"Through comparative analysis and applying proportional mortality rates, we estimate that at least 130,000 deaths and perhaps as many as 210,000 could have been avoided with earlier policy interventions and more robust federal coordination and leadership," said the report released on Wednesday by the Columbia University Earth Institute's National Center for Disaster Preparedness.

The report looked at the staggering and disproportionate nature of Covid-19 fatalities in the US to estimate how many deaths were "avoidable", reports Xinhua news agency

Over the past nine months, the US witnessed an alarming jolt of vulnerability and anguish, as the pandemic wrought immense suffering and confusion in a country that only last year topped an international ranking of epidemic preparedness, said the report.

With more than 217,000 lives lost, the US turned a global crisis into a devastating tragedy, said the report.

Even with the dramatic recent appearance of new Covid-19 waves globally, the abject failures of US government policies and crisis messaging persist, said the report.

The US presently is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 8,404,743 and 223,000, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins University.