Households Abandon Pandemic Preparedness

Anecdotal evidence (respirator brands going out of business, missing emergency kits) suggests many American households no longer maintain basic pandemic supplies. That erosion of private preparedness interacts with weak government action to leave society more vulnerable to novel outbreaks. — If households stop stocking protective gear and markets fail to sustain supply, short-term responses to outbreaks become harder and policy must decide whether to subsidize, mandate, or maintain public stockpiles.