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A potentially threatening disease is rapidly detected by local public health agencies, which function effectively in even the world's poorest countries. Anything out of the ordinary is shared with capable labs for study, including genetic sequencing, and the information uploaded to a global database that is being monitored by a dedicated team. When a threat is detected, governments sound the alarm and initiate public recommendations for travel, social distancing, and emergency planning. We start using the blunt tools that we already have on hand, such as mandatory quarantines, antivirals that protect against almost any strain, and tests that can be performed in any health clinic, workplace, or home. If that isn't sufficient, then the world's innovators immediately get to work developing tests, treatments, and vaccines for the pathogen. Diagnostics in particular ramp up extremely fast so that large numbers of people can be tested in a short time. New drugs and vaccines are approved quickly, because we've agreed ahead of time on how to run trials quickly and share the results. Once they're ready to go into production, manufacturing gears up right away because factories are already set up and approved. No one gets left behind, because we've already worked out how the new tools will be allocated and how to rapidly make enough for everyone. Everything gets where it's supposed to, when it's supposed to, because we've set up systems to get products delivered all the way to the patient. Communications about the situation are clear and avoid pani.c.