While not everyone is aware of this, near the end of 2019 a group of experts gathered to plan out the response to some kind of disaster. This disaster somehow as hard to believe as it might be now was the simulated event of a ‘novel zoonotic coronavirus.’
This event was known as Event 201 and while at the time the never-before-seen virus was fictional, it seems somehow things have manifested in recent times as the similarities between this fictional coronavirus and the one coming out of Wuhan, China are shocking. This is important to be aware of as in a mere three and a half hours the group of experts who went through Event 201 could not prevent their simulated deadly version of the coronavirus from killing a huge number – 65 million people. Those results quite concerning when you think about the current things we’re facing.
Now within this simulation, the virus was transmitted from bats to pigs to people and from there, person to person as those who caught the virus were diagnosed. Within the first year, they found no possibility of a vaccine but did come up with a fictional antiviral drug that would help the sick but not prevent the spreading of the disease itself. This we hope is not a reality we have to face as the real-life Wuhan coronavirus progresses further.
Within this scenario at a mere 18-month point 65 million were dead and the pandemic did begin to slow down but that many deaths happening in the real world is something we need to try our best to prevent. That having been said, the purpose of events like this one is to help us be more prepared which is exactly what came out of Event 201. This served as a learning experience and could not have come at a better time considering how things have unfolded now.
After completing this simulation those who participated created a list of seven actions that could be taken to prepare for similar scenarios like those that occurred in Event 201 which is in many ways what we’re facing right now. Of course, we don’t know if officials will take the advice of the experts involved in this kind of event, but we do hope they will consider it.
With the current pandemic we’re facing who knows what the death toll will be once all is said and done? While only time will tell, reflecting on the results of this simulation make it quite clear that if this virus is not gotten under control, more terrible things will happen.
For some highlights from this event and some updates on the coronavirus we’re facing in real-life please check out the videos below. Do you think the death toll could reach such numbers?
To read Business Insiders’ view on this topic, click here.