Not only the equipment - the real problem is a shortage of qualified personal (read: doctors and nurses) that can take care of people in dire condition. You can

Not only the equipment - the real problem is a shortage of qualified personal (read: doctors and nurses) that can take care of people in dire condition. You can build as many respirators you want, if there is no one them to operate them and to stabilize sick people your approach will fail. You need a doctor/experienced medical professional per 3-4 people in ICU condition. The math does not look good. To think that people here forego social isolation protocol and celebrate 'Corona parties' is an incredible display of ignorance. The number of younger patients with a medical condition and elderly people is very high, and once (note: we will see if our isolation procedures are good enough) the pandemic patients overflow the hospital system we will see that the events in northern Italy can happen everywhere. Their undertakers can't bury/burn their dead fast enough. Areas in southern France ask German hospitals to take in patients, the army is active and is building tents around the region in Basel. To make things worse, there are more and more infections with hospital personal in the southern Germany, and the chain of infection are not really clear. [sources: friend of mine one of the strategic Corona boards in Germany]