Approximately six weeks before the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic, in early December 2019 in Wuhan (China), an exercise was organized by the Davos World Economic Forum in cooperation with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The exercise was held in New York City on 18 October 2019, for the specific purpose of mapping the response of transnational corporations and governments to a coronavirus epidemic.

15 world leaders took part in this exercise, including the two Chinese and American officials in charge of fighting epidemics.

Latoya Abbott, Risk Management Director, US-based Marriott International Hotel Chain.

Sofia Borges, Vice President of the United Nations Foundation

Brad Connett, President, US Medical Group at Henry Schein Inc. (world leading producer of medical equipment)

Christopher Elias, Global Development Manager, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Tim Evans, former director, World Bank Health Department.

George Gao, Director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Avril Haines, former CIA deputy director and former national security adviser to President Barack Obama.

Jane Halton, former Australian Health Minister, Board member of ANZ (Bank of Australia and New Zealand).

Matthew Harrington, director of Edelman, the world’s largest public relations firm.

Martin Knuchel, Director and Head of Crisis and Emergency Management for Lufthansa Group Airlines.

Eduardo Martinez, legal counsel to the world’s largest postal logistics company, UPS, and director of the UPS Foundation.

Stephen Redd, Deputy Director, US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hasti Taghi, vice-president, NBCUniversal communications group.

Adrian Thomas, vice president of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson

Lavan Thiru, Governor of the Central Bank of Singapore