‘We Are Not Ready.’ U.S. Hospitals Prepare to Be Overwhelmed
It’s concerning enough to be facing a global pandemic that has already seen 4,600 Americans diagnosed and 85 killed. But things will get much worse if the U.S. lacks sufficient hospital beds and equipment to care for the flood of cases expected soon. TIME reporter Lissandra Villa took a deep dive into American hospitals’ looming shortages.
The numbers alone are cause for alarm. According to an estimate by the American Hospital Association, the next couple of months could see 96 million coronavirus cases in the U.S. (nearly 30% of the population); 1.9 million intensive care unit admissions; 4.8 million hospitalizations; and 480,000 deaths. And how prepared are we for such a crisis?
“We are not ready. We are not ready virtually anywhere in the country for that kind of onslaught on our health care system,” Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, told Villa. Those 1.9 million intensive care patients, for example, could be competing for just 95,000 beds and 62,000 ventilators.
“It was sobering having conversations with friends and family about self-quarantining right after getting off the phone with officials saying that if we don’t flatten the curve we could be overwhelmed,” Villa says. “My sense from talking to the professionals is that we are at the critical point to make a difference right now.” Read more here.
TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
As the total number of coronavirus cases worldwide edges toward 190,000 and the number of deaths passes 7,100, Italy remains among the most devastated by the virus, with nearly 28,000 cases and a medical system that is completely overwhelmed. The Italian government is waiving final exams for 10,000 new doctors and rushing them straight into service.
In Singapore, authorities reported 14 confirmed cases in a single day over the weekend, its highest one-day total so far. Nine of those were visitors who became infected before arriving in the city-state. Singaporeans were advised to avoid all non-essential travel. Malaysia and the Philippines went further, with Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin shutting down all travel into or out of the country and the Philippines placing 50 million people on the country’s largest island, Luzon, on “enhanced community quarantine,” permitted to leave their homes only for essential items.
Here are all the countries that have reported at least one COVID-19 case:
In the U.S., the virus continued to roil the stock market, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average shedding nearly 3,000 points on March 16—its worst day since 1987—before beginning a tentative rebound on March 17. The White House urged all Americans to limit gatherings to no more than 10 people, a far stricter standard than the Centers for Disease Control’s previous rule of 50. President Trump also advised governors of all states that have shown community transmission to close bars, restaurants and other public places. McDonald’s restaurants closed all of its dining rooms in company-owned outlets and anticipates that franchises will follow suit. In an attempt to juice the economy, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters that the government was considering a bipartisan plan to send $1,000 checks directly to taxpaying Americans as a one-time stimulus. He announced the IRS will defer income tax payments of up to $1 million for 90 days past the April 15 deadline.
Here are the 15 countries with the highest case counts so far:
All numbers are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of March 16, 8 PM eastern time.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
A Two-Hour Coronavirus Test Could Be Rolled Out Soon, Pending FDA Approval
A New Jersey-based medical technology company has petitioned the FDA to approve a COVID-19 test that could slash the time it takes to yield a positive or negative result from up to several days to just two hours. Read more here.
Is Ordering Takeout Unethical?
The coronavirus outbreak is testing not only our mettle but also our morals. A bioethicist answers 11 worrying questions. Read more here.
Amazon Says It’s Focusing on Delivering Essential Items
An overwhelmed Amazon is prioritizing stocking and shipping household staples and medical supplies as many customers, fearful of visiting stores in person, have turned to the online retailer. Read more here.
Why Losing Late-Night Talk Shows Feels Especially Bleak
Missing your nightly dose of Jimmy Kimmel or Stephen Colbert may seem like a small matter in a time of pandemic, but as late night shows go dark, people are experiencing a legitimate—and justifiable—sense of loss. Read more here.
How to Spot Coronavirus Misinformation
As with so many other things, fabulists are filling the internet with coronavirus nonsense. Here’s how to separate the truth from the junk. Read more here.
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