The governments and people of Europe are dealing with this virus incredibly more effectively than we are in the US. As you say, some countries which have eased lockdown restrictions too early have seen a surge of cases and had to reimpose lockdown. However, large areas of the US seem to have given up on lockdowns altogether. I also haven't seen any reports coming out of Europe comparable to the ones from around the US of thousands of people refusing to wear masks or refusing to comply with basic infection orevention measures.
Depends what you mean incredible...in the number of infectious cases, yeah Europe has done better, when it comes to deaths...nope.
The US with all the drama is still below France, Italy , Spain and the Uk, with Belgium in another league of its own.
If we go deeper and we compare the number of deaths per confirmed cases, it's even worse for Western Europe.
For example, France vs Us, per mil population.
Infection:
2,525 vs 8,242 France is better. 4.x
Deaths:
457 vs 393 US is better 1.11
Deaths per infection:
1/5 vs 1/20 US is better by 4x
The problem is what happens next...
We in Europe have somewhat managed to contain the virus, but we can't do this forever, sooner or later other cases will appear, and then others, you can't lock the whole continent.
At which point more people will get infected, another wave of infection and unfortunately deaths.
What would be interesting to know would be, if possible, the number of deaths per total infected people, a number no-one knows and it's just approximation, 5%-20% in some cases even 50%.
If the US has a higher rate like 30% of the population has come in contact with the virus it means the numbers of deaths will just triple if it's only 10%, it means 10x.
Just because you have saved your country now doesn't mean you can keep it locked forever and with this number of cases all over the world sooner or later even the countries that claim they've contained it will give up, and when this happens it will be just like the reverse of the Columbian exchange.
Back to the economy, I have a feeling it's going to be not so bad as some doomsday lovers want it to be nor it will recover in a flash, as I said in other threads before, right now I have a feeling it's going to be way less dramatic than the 2007 crisis. The car industry is back at 100%, so are all the businesses related to, agriculture didn't take a hit at all, the constructions are back, what is left is tourism but I think this will pick up also in 3-4 months. Of course, time will tell but I'm optimistic about what I'm seeing in my town and around me.