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Yeah, it's not the total number of hospital beds, it's the number of intensive care hosptal beds with associated equipment like ventilators and intubation equip

Yeah, it's not the total number of hospital beds, it's the number of intensive care hosptal beds with associated equipment like ventilators and intubation equipment, chest x-ray capacity, and the number of doctors and nurses familiar with that type of equipment. In my country we have ~12 000 hospital beds total, but only ~400 intensive care beds. Reportedly our capacity for immediately stretching that number is that we can muster ~1 200 intensive care beds. If the need goes beyond that (and everyone is seriously hoping it will not) then we will be overwhelmed like Italy.

mtsr 7y ago
This is the right answer. And it’s also why mortality could potentially shoot up to the +/- 7% of patients that need ICU care, if that capacity is exceeded.
zone411 7y ago
In the U.S., the number of per-state ICU beds varies quite a bit. When we count the number of older state residents weighted by their mortality rate, some have twice as many beds available for them on per capita basis: https://twitter.com/LechMazur/status/1237545167659253763 https://twitter.com/LechMazur/status/1237545167659253763
hcknwscommenter 7y ago
Not only that, but these intensive care beds need to be isolated. Ever been to an ICU? Isolation is not a thing. We can't just go in and tape a bunch of plastic drapes to the walls/ceilings/floors and make these ICU beds isolated. 400 ICU beds is to a first approximation zero isolated ICU beds.
- Engineering-MD 7y ago
  Well theatres can be used instead which will allow for isolation. In reality the main HDU or ITU will become covid zone and theatres used for non Covid admissions.
Engineering-MD 7y ago
There is a possibility of further increasing ventilator numbers by hooking multiple people up to the same machine providing they have similar lung volumes and compliance. It’s not ideal but better than leaving people to die. Of note, shouldn’t be risk of infection as piping has filters built in to prevent ventilators becoming infected.

mtsr 7y ago

This is the right answer. And it’s also why mortality could potentially shoot up to the +/- 7% of patients that need ICU care, if that capacity is exceeded.

zone411 7y ago

In the U.S., the number of per-state ICU beds varies quite a bit. When we count the number of older state residents weighted by their mortality rate, some have twice as many beds available for them on per capita basis: https://twitter.com/LechMazur/status/1237545167659253763 https://twitter.com/LechMazur/status/1237545167659253763

hcknwscommenter 7y ago

Not only that, but these intensive care beds need to be isolated. Ever been to an ICU? Isolation is not a thing. We can't just go in and tape a bunch of plastic drapes to the walls/ceilings/floors and make these ICU beds isolated. 400 ICU beds is to a first approximation zero isolated ICU beds.

Engineering-MD 7y ago
Well theatres can be used instead which will allow for isolation. In reality the main HDU or ITU will become covid zone and theatres used for non Covid admissions.

Engineering-MD 7y ago

There is a possibility of further increasing ventilator numbers by hooking multiple people up to the same machine providing they have similar lung volumes and compliance. It’s not ideal but better than leaving people to die. Of note, shouldn’t be risk of infection as piping has filters built in to prevent ventilators becoming infected.