COVID-19 Insights: The Curve Is Flat But We May Still Have A Healthcare Crisis – May 15, 2020
The stay at home orders were not meant to stop the virus, but to slow it down Shutdowns and quarantines were initiated to delay and reduce peak cases to flatten the curve. The primary concerns were hospitalizations exceeding healthcare resources (ventilators, doctors, nurses, etc.) and creating a healthcare crisis. We have flattened the curve, and except for a few hospitals in hotspots, there was no shortage of resources and there was no healthcare crisis. However, while trying to avert a healthcare crisis, the response created a crisis of a different sort. A report released by the American Hospital Association noted unprecedented financial pressures on hospitals due to COVID 19.