Seattle has first sufferer’s advantage because that “national stockpile” will only last so long, especially if Pompeo keeps giving our PPE to China…
From The Hill (bold added for emphasis)
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) says first responders and medical facilities at the heart of America’s coronavirus outbreak will run out of desperately needed protective gear if they do not receive new supplies from a national stockpile in the coming days and weeks.
In an exclusive interview, Durkan told The Hill that current estimates suggest there are more than 1,100 people in the greater Seattle area who are infected with the coronavirus, many of whom show few symptoms and therefore have not sought medical attention.
“It is perhaps the most consequential and complicated event that I’ve ever been involved in,” she said.
There have been 373 confirmed cases in Washington state, the highest total of any state in the country, and the majority of those cases are in the Seattle area.
Those who become sick enough to need hospitalization are already stretching health systems as city, county and state officials scramble to build capacity. Many people who become ill call 911, putting a premium on personal protective gear that police and fire fighters must don each time they come into contact with someone who might be symptomatic.
“There’s some critical things that we will need very quickly. We have made it clear on what those are. Testing still remains the number one issue. Capacity has increased, but it has not increased to meet the demand or the need,” Durkan told The Hill. “The national stockpile of personal protective equipment, face masks, face shields, gloves — we will run out if we don’t get replenishments soon.”
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The number of cases in Washington state have doubled every six or seven days for the past several weeks, Durkan said. In a worst-case scenario, the Seattle area could be overrun by 70,000 cases in six weeks.
