VA Faces Criticism over Lack of Plans to Deal with Coronavirus Pandemic

True.

The government has an OPLAN for all sorts of contingencies but to more directly relate to your question after the Ebola scare in 2014 it shouldn't be a far fetched idea to be adequately prepared to deal with pandemics in this country. The framework was there and all the administration had to do was execute.

SARS appeared in 2002 in China. It spread worldwide within a few months, though it was quickly contained. SARS is a virus transmitted through droplets that enter the air when someone with the disease coughs, sneezes, or talks. No known transmission has occurred since 2004.

The 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa was the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the virus was first discovered in 1976. There were more cases and deaths in this outbreak than all others combined.

I just picked those two since they were the most recent. Let's not forget the flu but that has always been here.

SSG (Join to see) - Maybe you should reread what you wrote.
For example - How was SARS quickly contained since it did spread worldwide.

Another item that leads to the FUD factors in this current case is that the WHO and whom defines what a pandemic or even what an epidemic is constantly changes what it uses a as a definition and its previous guidelines are discarded and they either make up new ones that engender unnecessary fear and panic.
As an example they (the WHO) no longer appear to use virulence or mortality as factors in making a determination. It actually appears that they are using feelings instead of cold hard facts and factual information, when making their decisions, thus exacerbating the problem, instead of taking actions that would solve the problem in a more expeditious manner.
What is worse is that many people that should no better are using and comparing data using one definition with data using a completely different definition, and that is causing more problems that appear to be deliberate.

SSG Robert Webster - The first two paragraphs were cut and paste from other websites. As far as the definition of a pandemic the WHO defines it as a "worldwide spread of a new disease."

https://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/frequently_asked_questions/pandemic/en/