Inside America’s Two-Decade Failure to Prepare for Coronavirus

The nation’s health secretary was warned about a possible pandemic — and, he admits now, he didn’t take that first warning seriously enough. But he studied with experts at the Centers of Disease Control. He read papers on virology. He took his concerns to the president. And months later, the administration unveiled a plan to tackle the virus emerging out of Asia, investing in therapies and warning Americans to stock up on canned goods.

It’s a moment that feels ripped from the headlines about the current coronavirus crisis. But the...