Key facts
- 40% of 73 healthcare facilities failed to properly mask and isolate actors in a pandemic preparedness drill.
- Only 60% of facilities successfully masked and isolated actors.
- 18% of facilities did not offer masks to actors with fever symptoms.
- Less than half of facilities met the one-minute goal for masking and the 10-minute goal for isolation.
- Only 55% of facilities notified internal Infection Prevention and Control staff.
- Staff at only seven facilities asked about bird flu exposure.
A pandemic preparedness drill conducted between January and June 2026 revealed significant shortcomings in US healthcare facilities' ability to implement infection control measures. Out of 73 facilities tested, primarily in New York City and surrounding areas, only 60% successfully masked and isolated actors posing as sick patients. The drills aimed to assess how well facilities would respond to a respiratory virus outbreak.
Actors visited a mix of emergency departments, hospital outpatient clinics, and urgent care centers. While 93% of facilities screened actors for symptoms, only seven facilities asked specific questions related to bird flu exposure. Critically, 18% of facilities failed to offer masks to actors who reported having a fever.
Even among facilities that did mask and isolate patients, the timeliness was often insufficient. Fewer than half met the one-minute goal for masking and the 10-minute goal for isolation. Outpatient clinics, in particular, showed lengthy median times to isolation, with one taking nearly an hour. Furthermore, only 55% of facilities notified their internal Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) staff as recommended.
The authors highlighted that these poor results indicate high-risk settings for virus transmission if proper measures are not in place. They also cautioned that the results might overestimate actual preparedness, as some facilities may have had prior knowledge of the drills, and those that declined to participate might have performed even worse.