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To be fair, if we had started back then there is almost zero chance that we'd need to pull in additional factories like this. Although arguably there might not

by jsight 7y ago

To be fair, if we had started back then there is almost zero chance that we'd need to pull in additional factories like this. Although arguably there might not be much need now either. The companies that make these have said that production can be increased.

bilbo0s 7y ago
In fairness, this is a discussion of hypotheticals at this point. We're likely to need the ventilators. Other nations are likely to need the ventilators. We have to get as many companies as is reasonable making them to meet the need. Detroit certainly has the engineering and manufacturing expertise to retool in a hurry. It's the sort of thing they do a lot of, so that sounds like a reasonable place to look for additional capacity. As for the rest of the discussion? I mean, yeah, I suppose if Lincoln had not been shot, we might have never needed Martin Luther King. But, Lincoln was killed. So we did get MLK. Which is fine, no real reason to harp on how dumb it was to kill Lincoln. Should've, would've, could've is less than useful when you're still at "need to". Save the shoulda woulda coulda for the post-mortem.
- asdfman123 7y ago
  I just saw on Twitter that hospital in NY is already "double respirating" people, meaning two people share one respirator, so it seems the time to act was well before yesterday. I don't see how people can read that and not say "Holy crap, let's not let people suffocate to death on their own phlegm" if it just means spending a few billion dollars.
  - bilbo0s 7y ago
    Obviously the time to act was yesterday. But we've got a chance to act today, so let's get the details of these devices shipped to Detroit in a hurry and get the retooling process started. We should also be asking China what their capacity is? I do know they've been supplying Italy with extra ventilators, but we should see if they are able to make even more. I mean, we just need to find ways to get the requisite medical equipment into the field on a global scale. That's PPE's, that's masks, that's ventilators, that's the diagnostics, etc. Between China and the US, there is no reason that shouldn't be able to be done. We can only start from where we are is what I'm saying. Yes, we're unprepared. Yes, we should have been prepared. Now that all that's been conceded, let's hurry up and get prepared.

by jsight 7y ago

bilbo0s 7y ago

In fairness, this is a discussion of hypotheticals at this point. We're likely to need the ventilators. Other nations are likely to need the ventilators. We have to get as many companies as is reasonable making them to meet the need. Detroit certainly has the engineering and manufacturing expertise to retool in a hurry. It's the sort of thing they do a lot of, so that sounds like a reasonable place to look for additional capacity. As for the rest of the discussion? I mean, yeah, I suppose if Lincoln had not been shot, we might have never needed Martin Luther King. But, Lincoln was killed. So we did get MLK. Which is fine, no real reason to harp on how dumb it was to kill Lincoln. Should've, would've, could've is less than useful when you're still at "need to". Save the shoulda woulda coulda for the post-mortem.

asdfman123 7y ago
I just saw on Twitter that hospital in NY is already "double respirating" people, meaning two people share one respirator, so it seems the time to act was well before yesterday. I don't see how people can read that and not say "Holy crap, let's not let people suffocate to death on their own phlegm" if it just means spending a few billion dollars.
- bilbo0s 7y ago
  Obviously the time to act was yesterday. But we've got a chance to act today, so let's get the details of these devices shipped to Detroit in a hurry and get the retooling process started. We should also be asking China what their capacity is? I do know they've been supplying Italy with extra ventilators, but we should see if they are able to make even more. I mean, we just need to find ways to get the requisite medical equipment into the field on a global scale. That's PPE's, that's masks, that's ventilators, that's the diagnostics, etc. Between China and the US, there is no reason that shouldn't be able to be done. We can only start from where we are is what I'm saying. Yes, we're unprepared. Yes, we should have been prepared. Now that all that's been conceded, let's hurry up and get prepared.