Specialist warns of potential ventilator shortages
FT. PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — It could become our biggest coronavirus challenge yet.
An infectious disease specialist is sounding the alarm about a potential shortage of ventilators, should more people get sick.
“We need to be aware, we need to be concerned, but we shouldn’t be consumed by fear,” said Dr. Moti Ramgopal, an infectious disease specialist and researcher at Midway Specialty Care Center, based in Ft. Pierce.
Dr. Ramgopal, who spoke with CBS12 News this week, said he’s been impressed with the response to coronavirus here and around the world.
“The ventilator issue is our biggest fear, our challenge,” said Dr. Ramgopal, pointing to Italy, where hospitals don’t have enough ventilators for all who need them.
“The infectivity of this virus is much higher than the flu, and not only that, is that we’re seeing patients developing respiratory complaints very quickly,” said Ramgopal.
The specialist said in Italy up to 10 percent of coronavirus patients require intubation.
There have also been reports of people in hospitals in Italy lying on their stomachs, to improve breathing, absent enough ventilators.
This leads one to wonder if something similar could happen here, if the number of coronavirus cases grows.
“Are we going to have enough respiratory equipment? We probably don’t,” said Dr. Ramgopal.
The physician said he knows from practicing in local emergency rooms, our community does have ventilators, but only so many.
“Some hospitals may have 20 or 30, or 40, it all depends on the size of the hospital,” said Ramgopal.
An insufficient number of ventilators could mean many more tough decisions for doctors treating coronavirus patients.
“We probably have to decide who will need to go on ventilators, and who wouldn’t need to go on ventilators, and whose lives we can save and who you can’t save over time,” said Ramgopal.
In Europe, that’s meant already medically-compromised and older patients have been passed over for ventilators.
The hope is local case numbers stay low, avoiding the need to make such difficult choices
