Category: NPR

Ventec Life Systems CEO Chris Kiple claims his company could ramp up ventilator production fivefold if needed for coronavirus. NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly asks him how — and if hospital staff are ready.

As COVID-19 patients threaten to overwhelm U.S. health care, some states are calling on retired workers to return. NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly talks with retired pulmonologist Dr. Clifford Zwillich.

Modelers of epidemics at Imperial College of London now say months of strict social distancing may be needed to prevent overwhelming the U.S. health care system with COVID-19 cases.

Coronavirus concerns and social distancing guidelines have prompted organizers to cancel thousands of blood drives around the country. Now officials warn there’s a shortage for hospitals.

Here’s what it will take for medical facilities across the nation to handle the coming surge of COVID-19 patients.

The virus pandemic comes at a vulnerable time for the Britain’s overburdened public health care system.

There is no universal protocol defining “deep clean” as industries work to eradicate the coronavirus. Instead they are tailoring sanitation efforts in accordance with what makes sense for them.

New research indicates that insurers are covering far fewer drugs than they did a decade ago. The reduction in options can interrupt care and leave people with hard choices at the pharmacy counter.

Public health experts are trying to figure out if U.S. hospitals are ready for a possible surge of COVID-19 cases. When there are more serious cases than a hospital can handle, more patients die.

The U. S. has an $8 billion stockpile of emergency medical supplies that is the envy of the world. But the vast collection will be of only limited use in the fight against the new coronavirus.