By: Sujana Babu
May 12 2020
False: A coronavirus simulation was run by the U.S. government in October 2019.
Share Article:
Fact-Check
The Verdict False
The simulation was run by Johns Hopkins Center, World Economic Forum and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and not by the U.S. government.
Claim ID 7092808c
The simulation was run by Johns Hopkins Center, World Economic Forum and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and not by the U.S. government.The About page of Event 201 explains that it was a 3.5-hour pandemic tabletop exercise that took place in October 2019 and 15 global business, government, and public health leaders were players in the simulation exercise. It focused on emergency preparedness in the event of a severe pandemic. The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, World Economic Forum, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation organised the event which was supported by funding by the Open Philanthropy Project. Community Lead of World Economic Forum spoke on the Event 201 who said that they ran a massive viral pandemic simulation in New York and learned about managing the coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.