Category: NPR

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.

Small-town hospitals are under-equipped to deal with the coronavirus, and administrators warn it’s a misperception that people in isolated rural areas are safer from exposure.

In severe cases of COVID-19, as lungs become inflamed, membranes that transfer oxygen into the blood can become blocked. Some hospitalized patients need mechanical breathing support to recover.

From school closures to event cancellations, the disruptions are real — and vital. It’s all to slow the spread of coronavirus, so hospitals don’t get so overwhelmed that they can’t treat the sickest.

NPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. They discuss how the U.S. health care system is preparing for the coronavirus pandemic.

President Trump held a press conference on Friday afternoon declaring a national emergency, as the coronavirus outbreak continued to disrupt daily life and the economy in the United States.

I thought it would be a breeze to follow the advice from health authorities to reduce my risk of catching COVID-19. I was very wrong.

There is currently no central coordination of the supply of protective garb and masks in U.S. hospital inventories. A CDC project wants hospitals to share that information for the good of all.

“I can say we will see more cases, and things will get worse than they are right now,” says Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.