The ventilator situation
Tuesday, Mar 24, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sean Hammond…
[IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike] said Illinois’ coronavirus statistics have looked common to what the global hospitalization rates have been.
“Approximately 15-20% of people who contract the virus end up with some hospitalization,” Ezike said. “About 5% end up in ICU care.”
And about half of those will require a ventilator.
* NY Times a couple of days ago…
Ventilators are mechanical breathing machines that are the crucial lifesaving tool when a patient’s lungs fill with fluid, making it very difficult for the lungs to oxygenate blood. In one of the first large-scale studies of the characteristics of the coronavirus in Wuhan, 5 percent of patients required the intensive care unit and 2.3 percent required a ventilator. Now imagine 2.3 percent of the perhaps millions of Americans who are expected to become infected with Covid-19 over the next three months. There simply will not be enough of these machines, especially in major cities. (Hospitals in the country have some 160,000 total; New York has 6,000 at most.)
* Today…
This is Illinois’ future if we don’t get this virus under control and the feds don’t get their collective act together.
* Back to Illinois…
“The truth is that I was on the phone yesterday talking to companies and here’s what I ran into: in one case we’re competing for ventilators with FEMA and the federal government. So Illinois is bidding for ventilators against the federal government. In another case, we were bidding against foreign countries and other states,” Pritzker told Savannah Guthrie.
“And so what’s happening too, not just on ventilators but on all the PPE that we need, prices are being ratcheted up and we’re competing against each other on what should be a national crisis where we should be coming together and the federal government should be leading, helping us,” he continued.
The White House yesterday promised to send Illinois 300 ventilators. That’s just not gonna be enough.
* Also, this claim by the mayor is undoubtedly true at this very moment. I do not think it will be true once cases start to spike…
Lightfoot also said the city is OK right now with hospitals, bed counts and ventilators.
“So far, we’re fine,” Lightfoot said.
It’s not gonna stay that way if we don’t successfully flatten the curve.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 10:46 am:
JB should reach out to governor Cuomo and offer to utilize some of our open beds. This is a national epidemic that has know boundaries or borders. It is the decent thing to do.
- efudd - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 10:48 am:
Don’t be mean to Trump, though.
Side note-Looks like the Trib has fell out of love.
- Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 10:48 am:
The Federal Government needs to centralize purchasing nationwide. Don’t know that we have to order forms to produce more. Sounds like companies are already working on increasing production as fast as possible. Don’t whip a pulling horse.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 10:49 am:
My recent health issues required me to have a dozen N95 masks sent home. I feel health care workers need these more than I
. They have been sent to a St. LOUIS hospital to be put to use for those conducting clinical trials.
- Downstate - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 10:57 am:
Surgery centers are a great source for ventilators right now. With elective surgeries ceasing, these ventilators are now available and can be shared with local in-patient facilities.
- efudd - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:00 am:
BDD-
Having an entire state on a stay at home, then inviting another state to import their sick?
Decent thing to do? Sure. Smart? Uh, no.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:09 am:
Efudd. Dont know if you’ve been out, but doesnt look to me the entire state is staying home. The point of the stay at home mandate is to flatten the curve. So those needing hospital healthcare can get it without overwhelming the system. These folks need it now.
- Enemy of the State - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:24 am:
Yep, ventilators are in short supply. Want to get really shocked? Do some research and find out how many Illinois counties do not even have a hospital and how many do not even have a ICU unit.
- JoanP - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:35 am:
@Blue Dog Dem -
I’m not sure it’s a great idea for folks who are infected to travel from NY to Illinois. And I think the logistics would be difficult (though perhaps not insuperable).
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:41 am:
Joan. I was a bit mean to you yesterday. I am sorry. We should reach out to anyone infected. That is the decent thing to do. Let’s play a what if scenario.
What if North Dakota never uses any of its 1000 or so hospital beds. Never. What’s happens if those beds could have been used to save 750 NY lives. We are looking for federal help. What if the federal govt orders the currently unused beds to be filled by first come first served.
- efudd - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:42 am:
BDD, yeah, I’ve been out. My work is considered essential. There is a noticeable decline in human activity.
Again, you’re asking an entire state of this size and populace to stay at home unless essential to stop the spread of a virus, then you are going to import it in, as your governor is trying to get needed supplies for his constituents.
C’mon, man. Give this a think.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:44 am:
=== What if North Dakota never uses any of its 1000 or so hospital beds. Never.===
How will that happen? Citizens will eat rainbow gumdrops and drink cotton candy juice?
For the love of Peter, the dorm rooms are closed for the year but dorm room thinking remains?
- efudd - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:47 am:
BDD, I know you’re going through cancer, hope everything is going well.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:51 am:
…stop the spread of the virus.
I thought it was to slow the spread of the virus. So we flattened the curve. So we dont overwhelm the healthcare system. Let’s not get to the point of Italy where we dont treat people deemed unworthy to save.
- CIC - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:53 am:
Downstate - It would be interesting to know the number of surgery centers in Illinois. Ideally, governor is already identifying and coordinating those resources.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:55 am:
Thanks Efudd. Other than no sunshine and this rotten pandemic, prognosis is bright.
Am feeling good about some of these treatments in the works. My son is not at liberty to share to much because of HIIpa, but he cant fool the old man. I detect hope and optimism.
- Ben - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 12:10 pm:
I have not seen stats on how long some is on a ventilator. NY says they need 30,000. Is that assume all ventilator are needed all at once or will xxxx number be enough as not all needed at same time. This is important fact since other states wil be next and need to learn.
- Clem - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 12:54 pm:
Looks like JB is as unprepared and incompetent as Cuomo. Step down and let someone, anyone, who knows what they’re doing take this over. Finding out its not as easy as just begging Blago for a no-show job.
- Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 12:57 pm:
Ventilators are not trivial to operate. It takes specially trained people. Where are they going to come from?
- Jocko - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:09 pm:
==Step down and let someone, anyone, who knows what they’re doing take this over==
The next press conference is at 2:30 in Springfield. I’d ask permission before taking the podium.
- Rod - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 2:09 pm:
Plutocrt03 repertory therapists, nurses with ventilator certification, advanced life support EMTs, ventilator trained Occupational and Physical Therapists, anesthesiologists, and of course ER MDs are all trained to operate and monitor ventilators. In general they can monitor multiple ventilators simultaneously if necessary. There are staffing shortages in many areas, but hopefully there will be enough staff to meet the expected surge.
- XonXoff - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 2:34 pm:
Trump, Pence and others (sans Dr. Fauchi, who seems to have lost his TV privileges) just performed a 2 hour town hall on Fox. He’s laying the groundwork to blame Cuomo for passing on a 15k ventilator purchase a couple years ago – and maybe that’s valid. But it won’t surprise me to see political bias toward certain other governors/states as decisions are made. The recent Romney quip exposed his initial thought process. I also notice CDC PSA’s running frequently on fox and while I suspect they are running on other networks, I haven’t personally noticed a single CDC spot elsewhere.
It’s going to take strong forward-thinking Governors.
- Frank talks - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 3:07 pm:
We haven’t reached anywhere near flattening. NY is now testing 16,000 people a day we are still only testing 1,000 from everything I’ve read. Until we test more we’re still not flattening any curve and we are probably still on the upward stretch of the curve. We’ll find out once test start coming in.
But who knows when that is?
- JoanP - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 3:21 pm:
@Blue Dog Dem -
Don’t worry about it. We’re all a bit on edge.
As for your “what if”- I think it would probably be safer to move the beds to NY than the patients to ND.
It’s never a good idea to travel when you’re ill. And don’t forget this is a respiratory/pulmonary ailment, which makes it even more dangerous to fly.