Europe’s Coronavirus Fate Is Already Sealed. One reason Britain and Italy are struggling: Their medical systems are too dependent on government.

Wall Street Journal ^ | March 12, 2020 | Joseph C. Sternberg

[karpov]

Scientists around the world have worked overtime to get a handle on Covid-19, yet one great unknown remains. We still don’t know for sure whether this is only a medical crisis, or also a medical system crisis.

The distinction matters for the novel coronavirus for the same reason it matters for other “natural disasters” that aren’t entirely natural. It is now widely understood that famines arise from local political failures in the trade and distribution of abundant global food supplies, not from local crop failures. Floods devastate communities not because the local rivers are unusually watery but because poor zoning and subsidized flood insurance encourage people to build homes in flood plains.

This is the context for a conspicuous feature of Covid-19: It is not untreatable, but many health systems are struggling to deliver effective treatment. Nowhere is this more so right now than in Italy, where nightmarish reports are emerging from hospitals in the hardest-hit areas.

Doctors in Italy know what to do to treat severe cases, such as using ventilators in intensive-care units. But hospitals lack the beds and equipment for the influx of patients and Italy doesn’t have enough doctors even to make the attempt. Ill patients languish in hospital corridors for want of beds, recovering patients are rushed out the door as quickly as possible, and exhausted (and sometimes sick) doctors and nurses can’t even muster the energy to throw up their hands in despair.

Is this more a result of the severity of Covid-19, or of long-term failures to invest in the Italian health-care system? One starts to suspect the latter.

Italy lags other large European countries in provision of acute-care hospital beds, furnishing 2.62 of them per 1,000 residents as of 2016, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

[BenLurkin]

Did you catch Boris Johnson’s presser this morning. Very interesting information.

[karpov]

No — could you elaborate?

[Yo-Yo]

If Britain is struggling, then why were they excluded from the European travel ban?

[Rummyfan]

Is this more a result of the severity of Covid-19, or of long-term failures to invest in the Italian health-care system? One starts to suspect the latter.

Oh yeah!

[BenLurkin]

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson Outlines U.K. Response
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUEEAJHys-E

Fast forward to the 29:00 mark

[ELS]

If Britain is struggling, then why were they excluded from the European travel ban?

Good question. Is it only because of Brexit?

[JohnBovenmyer]

Results of government managed and priced healthcare.

[jmacusa]

It's that socialized medicine , that great ‘’free health care’’ the Euro’s are always ragging on us about. How we should have because theirs is sooooo great ‘n’ stuff.

[hanamizu]

Was watching SkyNews earlier. In the UK they’re mulling the idea of having people ‘work from home’ or just stay home until the crisis abates. One problem: the NHS is the single largest employer in the nation, and of course, its employees will likely have to be working overtime. If schools are closed, who’s to look after the kids...?

[aumrl]

I figure it is because they are not in the EU.
They have a border and can test all seeking entry.

[Billthedrill]

The EU has so far stubbornly refused to allow reinstitution of border controls in the Schengen countries. If it is already too late that's a big reason why.

[Magic Fingers]

“If schools are closed, who’s to look after the kids...?”

The people staying home from work?

[socalgop]

Lol the us has fewer acute care hospital beds per capita than Italy. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/u-s-health-care-resources-compare-countries/#item-u-s-fewer-acute-care-hospital-beds-per-capita-many-comparable-countries

[hanamizu]

“The people staying home from work?”

---

I should have been more clear. The nation’s largest employer is the NHS. They likely won’t be working from home...or spending much time there.

[null and void]

Gather up all the kids and reenact operation Pied Piper...

[grumpygresh]

I heard an NHS spokesperson say that they would let some Med students function as doctors and “invite” retired doctors back.

[Ning_England]

So far there is no precaution nor procedures taken in England.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

In a nutshell — because the writer of this article isn't above lying to make a point.

There are over 25 times as many cases in Italy compared to Britain. 25 + times!

Also, Britain is no longer part of Europe. They now have a border — and a world-class moat, to control entry.

[sauropod]

.