Revealed: Britain’s ‘lost’ blueprint for fighting a coronavirus outbreak – written 16 years ago

The Independent needs your support [The Independent]( [Contribute]( Make a contribution and help fund free-thinking journalism Hello {NAME}, We all need truly independent journalism now more than ever to counter disinformation and hold the powerful to account at a time of profound change. Please consider joining our Supporter Programme by [contributing today](. You will be directly funding additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust. With the above in mind, we wanted to share with you some of the incredible recent work that our Supporter Programme has made possible. [Contribute]( [Revealed: Britain’s ‘lost’ blueprint for fighting a coronavirus outbreak – written 16 years ago]( [Alternate text]( The Coronavirus Files: After Sars swept across the globe, the UK drew up a plan for fighting an airborne virus arriving in Britain from China. The 2005 document was filed away in Whitehall, and apparently never used. Now uncovered, its recommendations – from limiting travel to stopping ‘super-spreader’ events – are strikingly similar to the measures belatedly brought in to fight Covid-19. Former government advisers tell [Samuel Lovett]( that this guide to fighting an epidemic could have saved tens of thousands of lives. [Contribute]( Other supporter programme articles in this series: [I'm an image]( [It could have saved lives. So how did the coronavirus response plan go missing?]( [I'm an image]( [In full: The 2005 coronavirus plan that predicted outbreak response from ‘super-spreader’ events to travel]( Make a contribution today You can choose to support The Independent on a one-off or monthly basis from as little as £5. Every penny will fund the high-quality, public-interest journalism you value most. We really appreciate every contribution we receive, no matter how big or small. [Contribute]( [The Independent] [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email If you no longer wish to receive emails about exclusive offers, events and services from The Independent, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Marketing_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This email was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345 Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy]( Read this email [online](