03-28-2020, 03:55 AM
Does everyone agree this is the ventilator problem?
1. Not enough ventilators are available to those who are projected to need them
2. Those who need a ventilator to survive need them to be calibrated with precision
3. There isn’t enough time to build out a supply of ventilators needed to meet the demand when projected to be needed
My understanding off using CPAP machines or these ventilator substitutes is they could be an alternative for those needing external oxygen, but they wouldn’t address the needs of those who need actually precise ventilators. It’s possible “crude ventilators” may save some who need the most minimal ventilator function, but given so many deaths with enough ventilators to serve demand, crude ventilators aren’t likely to have much impact preventing death.
I thought Andrew Cuomo’s suggestion to nationalize ventilator stock and deploy them where needed made sense, but given the scale of the outbreak, it seems like there simply isn’t going to be enough supply because they will be needed everywhere. I mean is Iowa going to willingly give up ventilators to give New York? It may only have 70 cases, but it does have 3 deaths and will cherish its supply.
I also understand why FEMA can’t give all its ventilators to NY for similar reasons, other states, like Florida and Louisiana are going to rapidly start needing more, maybe even California and Texas.
It’s great to see industry mobilizing to try increasing ventilator capacity, but no matter what the triage elements are, it’s just not going to be enough to stop an inundation. Therefore, and I know I’m becoming a broken record, the majority of resources and focus should be getting masks produced so every health care worker has them, but also every American, so spread can be stopped. Social distancing can be relaxed a bit when everyone is wearing masks.
We also need to start having a national discussion about who should be given scarce ventilator service and who should be given hospice care because they are likely to die without a ventilator.
1. Not enough ventilators are available to those who are projected to need them
2. Those who need a ventilator to survive need them to be calibrated with precision
3. There isn’t enough time to build out a supply of ventilators needed to meet the demand when projected to be needed
My understanding off using CPAP machines or these ventilator substitutes is they could be an alternative for those needing external oxygen, but they wouldn’t address the needs of those who need actually precise ventilators. It’s possible “crude ventilators” may save some who need the most minimal ventilator function, but given so many deaths with enough ventilators to serve demand, crude ventilators aren’t likely to have much impact preventing death.
I thought Andrew Cuomo’s suggestion to nationalize ventilator stock and deploy them where needed made sense, but given the scale of the outbreak, it seems like there simply isn’t going to be enough supply because they will be needed everywhere. I mean is Iowa going to willingly give up ventilators to give New York? It may only have 70 cases, but it does have 3 deaths and will cherish its supply.
I also understand why FEMA can’t give all its ventilators to NY for similar reasons, other states, like Florida and Louisiana are going to rapidly start needing more, maybe even California and Texas.
It’s great to see industry mobilizing to try increasing ventilator capacity, but no matter what the triage elements are, it’s just not going to be enough to stop an inundation. Therefore, and I know I’m becoming a broken record, the majority of resources and focus should be getting masks produced so every health care worker has them, but also every American, so spread can be stopped. Social distancing can be relaxed a bit when everyone is wearing masks.
We also need to start having a national discussion about who should be given scarce ventilator service and who should be given hospice care because they are likely to die without a ventilator.