News Room

The U.S. may follow in Italy’s footsteps and be overwhelmed by the coronavirus unless we take preventive action now. The capacity of the American health-care system is already under strain — even without the COVID-19 pandemic — with emergency room overcrowding, long wait times to schedule an appointment, and a chronic shortage of nurses.

It’s official: The World Health Organization has declared that the coronavirus is a global pandemic. Currently, the CDC recommends against gatherings of 50 or more people, and President Trump is urging against gatherings of no more than 10. As universities switch to online classes and travel bans go into effect, it makes sense if you’re feeling sort of powerless right now. So far, everyone has been told to take basic precautions against getting sick: wash your hands, avoid touching your face, clean your phone. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO General Director, shared in a tweet that another step in prevention is to avoid crowded places.

During the Democratic debate on Sunday, Americans witnessed a rare sighting: Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden disputing potential solutions to the new coronavirus before an audience-free studio. This eerily quiet debate was fitting considering the current global pandemic that the world is facing. Even presidential candidates had to adhere to the new practices of social distancing, standing six feet apart, and limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people. 

As we in western Massachusetts begin to prepare for the inevitable coronavirus I would like to thank The Springfield Republican/MassLive for its excellent coverage, including how best to prepare. I teach regularly a course on Humanitarian Logistics and Healthcare at the Isenberg School at UMass and, as part of the course, I bring in practitioners to share their expertise and experiences on all phases of disaster management, from preparedness and mitigation, to response and recovery. I have hosted experts from MEMA, the National Guard, the Red Cross, BayState, among others, and even a field trip to the Amherst Fire Station. Their professional expertise gained from the trenches enriches the education of our students and provides very valuable lessons.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, a medical device shortage is “a period of time for which the demand or projected demand for a medical device within the U.S. will exceed the supply or projected supply for that device.” While medical devices range from low-tech supplies like gloves and gowns to sophisticated equipment like defibrillators and pacemakers, our reporting focuses on the former.