Are America’s Hospitals Prepared for a COVID-19 Epidemic?

The March 9 article on MedPage Today by Editor-in-Chief Martin Makary, MD, raises some sobering questions regarding the ability of U.S. healthcare facilities to respond to this public health crisis. Makary notes that “U.S. hospitals … are on track to soon be overrun with patients…” and predicts that these facilities may be dealing with significant staffing shortages within a matter of weeks. He also points out the potential for shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) in hospitals, as indicated by a recent nationwide survey of 6,500 nurses.

How prepared are America’s hospitals for this and other types of disasters? Makary’s writings...