“As surely as bacteria and viruses will persist on earth, there will be a next pandemic. The United States can and should be better prepared for it.”

To get ready for the next time, the Commonwealth Fund’s David Blumenthal, M.D., and Elizabeth J. Fowler write in Harvard Business Review that Congress should begin work on legislation for improving our ability to spot an emerging pandemic, delay its entry into the country, contain the infection, and minimize any physical and economic pain.