Patient-zero drill put health facilities to the test—40% of them failed
A study in New York revealed that 40% of healthcare facilities failed a drill simulating the arrival of a patient with a potential pandemic-level infection. The findings highlight significant gaps in staff training, PPE usage, and patient isolation protocols.
Why it matters
The failure of these facilities to identify and isolate a simulated infectious patient suggests that local healthcare systems remain vulnerable to future pandemic threats.
Yikes Patient-zero drill put health facilities to the test—40% of them failed Actors with makeup and fake symptoms staggered into 73 healthcare facilities.
12 A man wearing a mask walking outside the entrance to an emergency department. Credit: Getty | TOLGA AKMEN A man wearing a mask walking outside the entrance to an emergency department. Credit: Getty | TOLGA AKMEN Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav COVID-19 made the weaknesses in our pandemic preparedness at national and global levels painfully clear. But a new study highlights that even at the first, local steps of an outbreak with pandemic-potential, we are worryingly underprepared.
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