Two years ago, during a simulated meeting of the nation’s top officials, a former senator acting as the U.S. defense secretary offered a chilling assessment of a “new” deadly disease spreading across America: “We’re going to have a lot of casualties in this war against this epidemic.”
One of the simulation’s organizers, acting as a National Security Council official, warned that if a vaccine – which takes more than a year to develop – isn’t deployed “soon,” the U.S. death toll could be “catastrophic.”
Those in the room were then briefed on the latest situation on the ground: “Telework and social distancing measures are being encouraged by the CDC. Schools across the country are closed, and many public gatherings have been canceled. Continue reading.