By Molly T | March 14, 2020
There are now well over 2,000 confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus in the United States–and that figure is increasing by the day. A new report from the Daily Mail warns that the nation’s hospitals could soon be completely overrun with coronavirus patients in about a week’s time.
According to the White House’s former Medicare boss Andy Slavitt, nearly every hospital in the country will be full in a matter of eight days. On Twitter Slavitt warned, “Last night I was on with state & local officials around the US well into the night. By March 23 many of our largest cities & hospitals are on course to be overrun with cases.”
Slavitt said people should self-isolate now and that bars and restaurants should be closed down. He said that medical supplies “even from the black market” should be sourced to prepare for the “tsunami” of patients that will soon flood our hospitals.
He wrote, “The stakes are higher than any most of us have ever experienced: wars, 9/11, whatever.”
There are currently about 2,200 confirmed coronavirus cases in the US, and 50 people have died from the virus. However, doctors are warning that the true number of infected individuals in the nation is likely already closer to half a million.
Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, said, “Don’t believe the numbers when you see, even on our Johns Hopkins website, that 1,600 Americans have the virus. No, that means 1,600 got the test, tested positive. There are probably 25 to 50 people who have the virus for every one person who is confirmed. I think we have between 50,000 and half a million cases right now walking around in the United States.”
The doctor continued, “I’m concerned when I hear a neighbor or a friend say that they’re planning to go to a kid’s swim meet in three weeks or going on vacation next week. No — we’re about to experience the worst public health epidemic since polio.”
This piece originally appeared on Objectivist.co and is used by permission.
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