Originally Posted by
etudiant
That is perhaps the least of our worries if the virus is not arrested.
There is no large scale domestic production capacity for even basics such as face masks or medications, much less a surge potential or a national stockpile. Most of that supply is now sourced from lower cost areas such as China or India.
So the US and Europe would be no better off than China in terms of dealing with this outbreak if it continues to build. Thus far, we have the reported number of victims still rising on a weekly doubling pace outside of China. That is very troubling.
At this rate, we are headed for a very different and less well connected world.
Yes, yes, all true. If you read my post again and note what I was responding to, you'll see that I was pointing out -- perhaps not in sufficiently clear and simple terms -- that the cited Chinese clinical practice of ventilating patients in advanced respiratory distress simply isn't going to be possible -- in China or anywhere else.
And I have made it clear, in this thread, that I doubt any nation is capable of adequately addressing an outbreak on the scale of the one China is dealing with.