I really do appreciate your input and interest. It means my concept intrigues you and you are trying to help me present it in a way more palatable for the general public. The valid points you raise I actually address ?in my story. ?I use CIA because that is what the public thinks it should be but actually it is USAMRIID that handles biologicals and I create a fictional covert group few know that I call CBOB (Congressional Biological Oversight Bureau) . As far as saving lives, that is the focus initially, kids are dying and my character is the one who discovers it doing his job and also locks down the island with HIMSELF also being trapped. I take care of the kids and infection issue about half way through the novel, then he switches to saving his own ass and those with him, he has to negotiate with the head of the Russian team who is actually his friend and the Russians are under the Minister of Health for Russia who is the Russian Team leader’s ?sister and also my characters former (possibly still) lover. Deals have to be cut and the Russians know they need to contain the outbreak and treat the sick but they also have a responsibility to collect specimens to help with future outbreaks. The problem is the conditions demanded by the islands leader would also cost the life of their American friend. There are lots of decisions and intrigue and I don’t wish to ruin it for you but if you care to actually read what I have competed of the second draft here is a link: heck I would love input since I am writing a novel with damn little input from others:?https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fddIi33tBZdQRPNPRaxzg-a7sGbtG5dkvYWrb_MxFiA/edit?usp=sharing

feel free to offer any suggestions, I have an editor friend who does and also a librarian and another novelist, I won’t turn down input and generally actually use it

actually the pandemic is a secondary issue in this story, what is really important is the cover-up. I have my team manage to find a cure using available technology, the problem is getting it onto the island. The islands dictator won’t allow the biohazard team to enter unless they turn over my Collector, ?who he thinks did the outbreak to assassinate him. Hard to prove they didn’t since it is CIA backed. The Russians have to decide, turn over her former lover to a madman who plans to kill him in exchange for allowing her team access to the island to treat the outbreak, or something else. My Collector goes with something else and I won’t reveal anymore. it really is a dance with lots of twists, including my ‘hero’ isn’t any better than his Russian counterpart