My guess is the govt probably took it as seriously as most people did back in January. They assumed it would stay in China and just be another bird flu. Think back to how many people actually took the threat seriously a few months back and it seems less of a suprise that the government didn't either.
Of course, this all being said, I am very dissapointed that the government didn't do more in the early stages. I don't think I (and others on here), were exceptionally prophetic by any means. But just that people are simply not used to a crisis and are incapable of recognizing one when it appears on the horizon. Part of this is because it has been so long since we have experienced an actual crisis. I hope, in the aftermath, of COVID we start taking other threats more seriously.
I've long been of the opinion that climate change, despite it being a serious problem, gets disproportionally too much coverage when there are other far more serious threats that get no mention at all. One of those threats I highlighted was a pandemic. But there are others, and some are even worse.
Originally Posted by: Quantum