NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is providing up to 1,000 ventilators to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
HCA said a new public-private collaboration will distribute ventilators to critical areas of need. The American Hospital Association is working with the federal government and health systems to send ventilators to hospitals that are experiencing a surge of COVID-19 patients.
The Dynamic Ventilator Reserve will include an online inventory of available ventilators and supplies. Hospitals and health systems will enter into the database the equipment they can lend to others. Providers can then request access to the inventory if they need ventilators.
According to a release, the AHA will manage the inventory with “full transparency” to those participating and work with the FEMA to determine when ventilators might be needed to supplement the national emergency stockpile.
HCA said it’s working with organizations throughout the country to pool resources and create partnerships to help improve the national coronavirus response.
Last week, HCA Healthcare, Google Cloud and SADA announced the creation of an open data platform to help hospitals and communities prepare for and respond to the pandemic.
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See all our coronavirus coverage here
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
