Making pandemic plans work for the long-term

Our September 2024 survey of over 500 risk and security managers showed that pandemic and disease ranked as the second-highest perceived risk for 2025. The concern is clearly there. But at the same time, many organisations are drifting into pandemic fatigue. 

It’s a gap between what we know is likely, and how prepared we feel. The risk is acknowledged, but attention is slipping. For business leaders, that’s the danger. The next health emergency won’t wait for board-level priorities to catch up. Now’s the time to act – not by overhauling everything, but by keeping preparedness active, relevant and ready to scale.

Lessons learned and improvements made

We hadn’t faced a pandemic on the scale of COVID-19 since 1918, when the so-called “Spanish Flu” killed an estimated 50–100 million people – up to 5% of the world’s population.

Most business leaders will admit they weren’t ready for what hit in 2020. In truth, few were – including governments. But the crisis forced overdue change. Tech, communication and working practices evolved fast.

What matters now isn’t what was done in the moment, it’s what’s been retained.

Hybrid working, once a stopgap, has become a competitive edge. Broader talent access, lower overheads, and less reliance on physical presence are now strategic choices. Supply chains have diversified to reduce single points of failure. Health protocols – from air filtration to better sick leave – have stuck around, not just as safety measures but as signals of care.

Clearer internal comms and better collaboration with public bodies helped organisations act faster and smarter. The businesses that embedded those gains are more resilient today.

But for many, those gains are fading. As urgency recedes, so does momentum. And that’s where risk creeps back in.

Complacency: A major risk to business

After every major crisis, there’s a drift. As headlines move on, so do priorities. Pandemics become a line on a risk register, rather than an active concern.

Perhaps the greatest threat to preparedness isn’t a virus – it’s mindset. Some may assume that having coped with COVID-19, they’ll adapt just as easily next time. But future pandemics could look very different in how they spread, how severe they are, and how societies respond.

COVID-19 showed how fast a local outbreak can become global. It also showed the cost of being underprepared.

As a medical assistance provider, we saw first-hand how fragile global systems became, and how much depended on fast thinking, strong networks and creative solutions. When borders closed, we found ways to move patients. When protocols changed overnight, we adapted in real time.

We can’t afford to be complacent. Resilience is a process. You can’t control government lockdowns, supply chain shocks or healthcare system strain. But you can control your own readiness by keeping plans alive and monitoring the landscape.

Keeping pandemic preparedness plans alive

Now – while pressure is low – is the time to revisit your pandemic preparedness. Plans degrade fast: Teams change, systems get replaced, and assumptions shift. Regular testing finds the gaps before they matter.

If you’ve moved fully into post-COVID mode, ask yourself:

• Can your business still operate if half your workforce is off sick?
• Do your suppliers have viable continuity plans?
• What would you say to clients if disruption hit tomorrow?

Make scenario planning a habit. Don’t just document response, practice it.

Watching for change in the health landscape

Most pandemics rarely appear out of nowhere. Spotting the early signs is key.

There are always multiple outbreaks happening somewhere in the world. Most stay local. A few don’t. The challenge isn’t tracking everything, it’s knowing which ones could matter to you. That’s what good surveillance is about.

Open-source tools can help. AI and data platforms now monitor a huge volume of global signals – official health alerts, local news, research papers, even social media – to spot emerging patterns. But data alone isn’t enough. Context is what makes it actionable.

Ask:

• What’s spreading, and how fast?
• Is it near my people, my suppliers, my customers?
• What’s the state of local healthcare and containment measures?

Some organisations build this analysis capability in-house. Others use specialist providers to filter and interpret the data – not just by severity, but by relevance to their operations.

Maintaining the momentum for the next pandemic

Experts aren’t asking if there’ll be another pandemic, they’re asking when.

Global travel, urbanisation, and climate change make it easier for viruses to spread fast and far. Close contact between humans and animals is driving the emergence of new strains – from coronaviruses to avian flu and Nipah virus. At the same time, warming climates are expanding the reach of mosquitoes and ticks, raising the risk of diseases like dengue, Zika and Lyme spreading into new regions.

Other threats are growing too. Antimicrobial resistance could make routine infections harder to treat. Bioterrorism remains a concern, especially in an unstable geopolitical landscape.

The next pandemic may not look like COVID, but the conditions for another crisis are already here.

The lessons from COVID-19 should remain at the forefront, and that means embedding flexible policies and health measures into the day-to-day operations of the business.

Hygiene practices, ventilation standards, and employee wellness support should be seen as core components of your operational strategy, not seasonal efforts. Flexible work models should continue to be developed as a fundamental part of how businesses can stay agile during any disruption.

Supporting workforce wellbeing, both mental and physical, also plays a key role. Employees who feel safe, supported, and valued are more likely to remain engaged, even when uncertainty strikes. This is where businesses can continue to build resilience by prioritising mental health year-round.

Finally, supply chain diversification isn’t a one-off task – it’s an ongoing investment in futureproofing. By maintaining alternative suppliers, better inventory buffers, and ongoing scenario planning, businesses can stay agile when disruptions occur.

The question isn’t if, but when. The gap between those who are ready and those who aren’t will be stark. As the next crisis looms, the companies that have maintained their momentum and acted on what they’ve learned will be in the strongest position to protect their people, serve their customers, and continue growing when others can’t. By taking the lessons of the past, businesses can stay ahead of the future.