Six years after COVID-19 transformed daily life, the US may be facing new public health challenges. Political polarization, public distrust and cuts affecting health infrastructure have raised questions about whether lessons from the pandemic have been learned. Global concerns about Ebola and Hantavirus have not led to any warning of an outbreak in the United States. But with millions arriving for the FIFA World Cup, broader questions are being raised about the country’s ability to detect, manage and respond to a potential health emergency.