[tubebender]

It is impossible to stay at home as the patient respirator machine to assist breathing. Staying home is sure death.

That could be true. How many respirators per population would the average hospital have ? Will we have riots when the hospitals start turning away patients because all the beds are full ?

[Judith Anne]

We discussed this here on these SARS threads about a month ago, the number of respirators and hospital beds in major cities...If I remember correctly, we used Chicago as an example...

If 3000 people in Chicago got SARS this winter, and if the current rate of +/- 10% had to be placed on respirators for two weeks more or less (as well as in respiratory [negative airflow room] isolation) that would be 300 people...not to mention all the other patients that need ventilators (respirators) for other illnesses....I don't think there would be enough, truthfully.

I can't remember how many hospital beds Chicago has...does anyone? Maybe I can find out...