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, which was conducted months prior to the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic, 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.
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