[Farm93]

That complacency is likely linked to SARS, MERS and even Ebola.   Most in the USA just assumed the oceans would protect us.

For sure true. There is a residual "chicken little" effect.

 Having excess hospital capacity and equipment for pandemics costs money.   And if something hasn't happened for 50+ years it begins to look like a decadent expense.


A politician at any level that said the citizens needed to spend money on those things instead of tax cuts, police on the streets or teachers would eventually get kicked out of office by someone that could fund more desirable things by trimming the fat.

While excess hospital capacity and equipment is certainly desirable, that is not where we blew it. We didn't (and don't) have a way to contain the spread of an epidemic through known epidemiological methods. Taiwan, Korea, etc. kept the number of cases down by having a good track and trace capability with adequate staff to handle a large initial surge of cases and also to continue for the long haul. You are preaching to the choir that previous successes have caused our capability to atrophy out of existence. Without that, SIP is the only tool available, and we know now the costs of doing that (if there was every any doubt). We need candidates at all levels that can remind the populace what happens if you let the county health department just inspect restaurants and have only 6000 USPHS officers for the entire country.

A pandemic staff as you describe would be excess human resource capacity.   Same idea.

If you have 10,000 people sitting around for a decade waiting for a pandemic I promise you there will be a politician that will win an election claiming that by trimming the government fat he can give everyone a tax cut.

The staff you seek would need to do something else, but in the event of a pandemic would be called to service.

[Farm93]

That complacency is likely linked to SARS, MERS and even Ebola.   Most in the USA just assumed the oceans would protect us.

For sure true. There is a residual "chicken little" effect.

 Having excess hospital capacity and equipment for pandemics costs money.   And if something hasn't happened for 50+ years it begins to look like a decadent expense.


A politician at any level that said the citizens needed to spend money on those things instead of tax cuts, police on the streets or teachers would eventually get kicked out of office by someone that could fund more desirable things by trimming the fat.

While excess hospital capacity and equipment is certainly desirable, that is not where we blew it. We didn't (and don't) have a way to contain the spread of an epidemic through known epidemiological methods. Taiwan, Korea, etc. kept the number of cases down by having a good track and trace capability with adequate staff to handle a large initial surge of cases and also to continue for the long haul. You are preaching to the choir that previous successes have caused our capability to atrophy out of existence. Without that, SIP is the only tool available, and we know now the costs of doing that (if there was every any doubt). We need candidates at all levels that can remind the populace what happens if you let the county health department just inspect restaurants and have only 6000 USPHS officers for the entire country.

A pandemic staff as you describe would be excess human resource capacity.   Same idea.

If you have 10,000 people sitting around for a decade waiting for a pandemic I promise you there will be a politician that will win an election claiming that by trimming the government fat he can give everyone a tax cut.

The staff you seek would need to do something else, but in the event of a pandemic would be called to service.