Governments across the continent have had a head start, but that will not address some worrying systemic problems many of them share. Ventilators are now a bottleneck in critical covid-19 care; we ask how many there are, and whether many more would help matters. And voting closes for the enthusiasts nominating a national lichen for Canada.  For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy