>>14780893 (lb)
I'd say it's safe to assume they knew the covid-19 psyop/exercise was coming before 2019.
This is just 1 tv show where masks showed up in odd places during 2018-19 seasons, Another was Watchmen which started in October 2019, & only lasted the 1 season, just as Event 201 took place.
There's the myriad of tv shows & movies where a viral outbreak leads to the destruction of the world, like The Last Ship or the Protector that began before covid19 officially reared its ugly head.
Predictive programming to get us used to the idea this can happen.