U.S. Hospitals Prepare for Surge of Coronavirus Patients

Posted on March 16, 2020

U.S. hospitals are preparing for a large crush of coronavirus patients. Some hospitals are conducting drills and setting up tents to handle an expected surge in patients with serious breathing problems.

Ventilators are needed to treat patients suffering from shortness of breath due to pneumonia caused by the coronavirus. There are not enough ventilators in the U.S. to take care of all the patients if there is a big surge in cases. This is why there is so much discussion of "flattening the curve" and slowing down the spread of the virus so hospitals can handle the patient load.

It is not clear yet that the U.S. is being restrictive enough to lockdown the country to prevent a huge surge in cases. Italy has implemented much stricter measures and hospitals there are still getting overwhelmed by coronavirus patients.

COVID-19