Before the COVID-19 started the UK government was happy to present itself as a world leader in responding to disease outbreaks. Its 2018 biological security strategy put it this way: “Significant outbreaks of disease are among the highest impact risks faced by any society – threatening lives and causing disruption to public services and the economy.”
However, it also said that: “The UK is globally renowned for the quality of our preparedness planning, and we have world-leading capabilities to address significant biological risks,” and: “As a global leader in the biological sciences, we have an opportunity to demonstrate our expertise and be at the forefront of work to meet these challenges.”
This view was supported by a 2019 league table from the World Economic Forum that placed the UK second among 195 countries as best prepared for a pandemic.
