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U.S President Donald Trump has announced a massive production of ventilators needed for coronavirus patients. He said, “We have over 100,000 ventilators being built right now or soon to be started”. But, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has warned the State could run out of its ventilator stockpile during the next 6-days. It depends on how many Covid-19 positive patients essentially need the machines. The number of ventilators available in the state and nationwide has become a concern when treating Covid-19 patients, as the virus tends to attack the upper respiratory system. The New York State will run out in 6-days time, based on the current burn rate of ventilators in New York. It is noteworthy that the government has released 400 ventilators to New York City on Wednesday.

The administration has also forwarded another 200 ventilators between Long Island and Westchester. These ventilators go towards patients in the ICU and the equipment is essential to help them breathe. It means New York has reached a point where it needs equipment currently available with a deadline now of 6-days for ventilators left. On Thursday, Cuomo said, “If that rate continues, in our stock pile we have about six days. If the apex increases, if the apex is longer, we have an issue with ventilators. If a person comes in and needs a ventilator and you don’t have one, the person dies. That’s the blunt equation here”. Point to be noted that New York State was working on extraordinary measures to handle the ventilator problem before the stockpile burns out.

Cuomo also said these extraordinary measures included looking for more ventilators around the world that are available for purchase and using anaesthesia machines as ventilators and splitting the ventilator tubes so 2 patients can use one machine at once. The State was also looking into converting BiPAP machines to be used as ventilators. It is important that New York has received 4,400 ventilators from the federal government to date. Cuomo added, “The federal government is very aware of our situation. I don’t think the federal government is in the position to provide ventilators to the extent needed by the nation. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t have enough in their stockpile to provide for the communities that need them”.