Event 201: A Fictional Pandemic Simulation and Public Trust

The event 201 scenario is fictional.

Today's scenario is going to simulate meetings of a multi-stakeholder group called the Pandemic Emergency Board.

We're at the start of what's looking like it will be a severe pandemic

and there are problems emerging that can only be solved by global business and governments working together.

There has been some conspiracy theories that are around about the potential

that pharmaceutical companies or the UN have released this for their own benefit.

And maybe this is a time for us to showcase some cases

where we are able to to bring forward some bad actors

and leave it before the courts to decide whether they have actually spread some fake news.

A new coronavirus.

Infected people got a respiratory illness with symptoms ranging from mild flu-like signs to severe pneumonia.

In related news, a significant demand for personal protective equipment like N95 masks and gloves are on the rise.

Patients are overwhelming health care facilities.

People are avoiding public spaces out of fear of infection and in compliance with public health recommendations.

Our U.S. affiliate has just released polling results on public expectations for a vaccine

and 65 percent of those polled are eager to take the vaccine even if it's experimental.

I'm not optimistic about having a vaccine in time to be relevant during this pandemic.

With enough money and political will anything is possible.

Penalties have been put in place for spreading harmful falsehoods including arrests.

If the solution means controlling and reducing access to information I think it's the right choice.

What exactly are the risks and benefits of staying home from work?

Absolutely we need to save lives but we literally cannot afford a heavy-handed response that suffocates our economy.

The world saw large-scale protests and in some places riots.

This led to

in some countries and even martial law.

The public lost trust in their respective administration.

Economists say the economic turmoil caused by such a pandemic will last for years.

The societal impacts,

the loss of faith in government, the distrust of news and the breakdown of social cohesion could last even longer.

We have to ask did this need to be so bad?