Regional Pandemic Drills Reveal 40% Failure Rate in Healthcare Facilities

A regional test designed to evaluate pandemic readiness revealed that 40% of participating healthcare facilities failed to meet basic response protocols, according to reporting from Ars Technica.

Between January and June 2026, health officials deployed professional actors to 73 facilities—including 42 emergency departments, 19 hospital outpatient clinics, and 12 urgent care centers—across New York City, New Jersey, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The actors simulated H5 bird flu symptoms, including a fake cough and conjunctivitis, and shared stories of handling a sick duck. To pass, facilities were required to both mask and isolate the patient.

Only 60% of the facilities successfully performed both actions. Performance varied by facility type: 68% of clinics and 67% of urgent care centers passed, while only about 55% of emergency departments did. Furthermore, 18% of facilities failed to provide a mask to the coughing patient.

Even among those that passed, operational speed lagged behind goals. While the target for masking was one minute and isolation was 10 minutes, the median times recorded were two minutes and 11 minutes, respectively. Fewer than half of the passing facilities met the one-minute masking goal, and 48% met the isolation window. One outpatient clinic took nearly an hour to isolate the patient.

Clinical safety measures were also inconsistent. Ars Technica reports that only 25% of clinicians wore all recommended personal protective equipment (PPE), while 6% wore none. Additionally, only seven of the 73 facilities asked specific questions regarding bird flu exposure, and 55% of facilities failed to notify internal Infection Prevention and Control staff as recommended.

The study, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, noted that these results may actually overestimate preparedness, as some invited facilities declined to participate and others may have received advance notice of the unannounced drills.