Why does the response look so serious if the public risk is very low?

Using learnings from the COVID-19 experience, the world can be better positioned to respond to the next pandemic in a rapid and coordinated way. Calls to action include strengthening national healthcare systems and closing the health protection gap.

Published yesterday – the report finds that the UK entered the pandemic ill-prepared. Healthcare systems were already overstretched and in a precarious state. This fragility had profound consequences once the crisis hit, especially when the numbers of people seeking treatment for Covid-19 started to increase dramatically.

Exercise Pegasus, held between September and November 2025, was the largest simulation of a pandemic in UK history, led by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). It tested national and local responses to a novel enterovirus involving every government department, the devolved governments, representation from arms-length bodies, local resilience fora, and the engagement of businesses, academics, and external stakeholders. A fourth phase (recovery) is planned to be exercised in 2026. Findings will be published later in 2026.