“Remember we had 2 dozen patient zeros with SARS (people who came into the country sick) and no patient ones (people who caught it in America). Clearly we did a pretty good job fighting it.”
SARS was fought using the principles of epidemiology, isolating patients and tracking contacts. That’s been known for over 100 years. It wasn’t fought using things learned from studying that particular corona virus in the lab prior to the outbreak. There is value in learning about viral biology but it doesnt have to be done with NOVEL extremely virulent human pathogens. Viruses are simple things and what you learn from weak human pathogens or even animal pathogens will be applicable to other Corona viruses. Once a virus has caused an outbreak in humans (like SARS) it SHOULD be studied since it has a higher likelihood of re-emerging.
But you also have to deal with the specifics of the disease. How it transmits, it’s early symptoms. That’s how you isolate people early, reducing their contacts. And also understand that a lot of what we learn playing with known things in the lab is knowledge for its family when one is out in the wild. Stuff we learned about corona in the lab helped us with SARS in the wild.
And it absolutely HAS to be done with novel extremely virulent pathogens. Because those are the biggest threats. And we need as much about those BEFORE they hit as we can. Because even the novel ones ARE members of pathogen families and do share traits. Knowledge is knowledge, you always need more.