Crimson Contagion

Seal of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Crimson Contagion was a simulation administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from January to August 2019 that tested the capacity of the U.S. federal government and twelve U.S. states to respond to a severe influenza pandemic originating in China. The exercise involves a scenario in which tourists returning from China spread a respiratory virus in the United States, beginning in Chicago. In less than two months the virus had infected 110 million Americans, killing more than half a million. The report issued at the conclusion of the exercise outlines the government's limited capacity to respond to a pandemic, with federal agencies lacking the funds, coordination, and resources to facilitate an effective response to the virus.^[1][2]

Scenario

Several tourists fall ill with a respiratory illness while in China and fly home to their respective countries before fully developing symptoms. The virus spreads quickly throughout the world with the first detection in the United States occurring in Chicago (the host city for the exercise). The virus is dubbed 'H7N9 Influenza'. Conduct of Crimson Contagion begins at a point 47 days after the first case is discovered in the United States. The scenario forecasts 110 million infections, 7.7 million hospitalizations, and 586,000 deaths in the U.S. alone.^[3]

Key findings

• Federal government lacks sufficient funding to respond to a severe influenza pandemic

• Exercise participants lacked clarity on the roles of different federal agencies, and what information was important to pass on to federal partners

• HHS had issues providing accurate and relevant information to hospitals and other public health organizations

• The United States lacks the production capacity to meet the demands for protective equipment and medical devices such as masks and ventilators imposed by a pandemic

• States were unable to efficiently request resources due to the lack of a standardized request process^[4]

State participants

References

from Hacker News https://ift.tt/3aLWKRY