A New York regional health system drill using actors posing as a patient with possible H5 bird flu found that 40% of participating facilities failed to both mask and isolate the patient. The exercise, conducted from January to June 2026 across 73 sites, was designed to test first-line response to a mystery infection with pandemic potential.
Only 44 of 73 facilities passed the core requirement. Emergency departments performed worse than clinics and urgent care centers. Even among passers, most missed speed targets: fewer than half masked within one minute or isolated within ten minutes. Median times were two minutes for masking and eleven for isolation.
The study also found inconsistent PPE use and limited bird-flu-specific questioning. Only a quarter of clinicians wore all recommended protective gear, and only seven facilities asked about exposure to sick birds. The authors called for more training to improve early identification, masking, and isolation.