COVID-19 can be seen as a trial of Western democracy

The COVID-19 pandemic is becoming something of a trial of our Western democracy. Various elements within China, Iran and Russia (and particularly Russia) are using the worldwide health challenge to question whether liberal democracies are capable of dealing with a crisis of this proportion.
In addition to the more puerile claims that the whole thing is a germ warfare exercise by the dastardly Americans, and embarrassing attempts to hide the real origins of the outbreak, suggestions that only a strong authoritarian regime like China's or Russia's can possibly deal with a crisis of this magnitude are making the rounds of social media.
And, when you stop and think about it, China's remarkably successful policies in controlling the outbreak, including draconian measures that Western society would probably balk at, could only have happened in a society inured and trained over decades to respect and trust their leaders implicitly, and to toe the line whatever they are told to do. And in the West? News reports of teenagers partying on the beaches of Florida and Australia...
That said, if we can get through this without having to resort to authoritarian edicts, and without too much more loss of life - and I have to believe that IS possible - then I see that as a win for democracy. But at this point, with what has already happened, it's only ever going to be a qualified win.