Who gets a ventilator? Hospitals facing coronavirus surge are preparing for life-or-death...

That makes way to much sense.

Since the CDC, WHO and HHS have been preparing for a pandemic since at least "2008" - coming out of China - in the form of some sort of influenza - you would think we would have been ready. "pandemic influenza" is mentioned 37 times in the 19 page report.

From page 1 of the attached -
"One of our highest priorities is to enhance and expand U.S.-based vaccine
production capacity to the point that it can generate enough pandemic influenza
vaccine for every American within six months of the time that the actual pandemic
virus is identified, wherever in the world it is identified. "

From page 6 of the attached -
"As an outgrowth of this training, China stepped up its health monitoring in this year’s seasonal flu cycle and now has 198 monitoring hospitals and 63 laboratories reporting influenza cases on a weekly basis, as of October. This
increased level of surveillance will help lead to a quicker identification of a pandemic influenza strain, should it appear in China."


https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/pdf/panflureport_6.pdf

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Please read the article linked by SSG Odom above. And then read the article at the following link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/nyregion/ny-coronavirus-ventilators.html
Specifically the paragraph quoted here - "One doctor wondered if they could recruit enough volunteers to manually ventilate patients — which involves squeezing a small inflatable device by hand — indefinitely."

What is this manual ventilation device that they reference? It is a 'bag valve mask' - manual resuscitators are the first-line device recommended for emergency artificial ventilation of critical care patients, and are thus used not only throughout hospitals but also in out-of-hospital care venues by firefighters, paramedics and outpatient clinic personnel. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bag_valve_mask)

And then tell me what a BiPAP machine (and associated/ancillary hardware) is.
I'll tell you the difference - one (what all of these 'medical' administrators are crying about) is invasive and the others are non-invasive. And by extension a CPAP machine.
$1,500 to $5,000 and delivery in 1-2 days (will still need to be set up and programmed).

AND most modern BiPAP and CPAP machines are programmable through a number of methods to include through the SD Card slot and can be read remotely since most are also equipped with WiFi and cellular communications.

So are we really that short on 'ventilator's?'

SSG Robert Webster Great, but everything you've said in this train goes back to validating my original question of why are conservatives downplaying this pandemic.

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen - Why are they downplaying it? Do you really have to ask?
They (government and hospitals) are stating that there is a shortage of ventilators - It is total BS. I have a portable ventilator sitting in my bedroom right this minute, one can easily be procured by a member of the general public currently in 1 to 2 days. Now explain to me how there is a shortage of ventilators, when there is not one.
It is not the conservatives downplaying the problem that is the issue - what the issue is, is the MSM and the left causing an unnecessary panic - THAT IS THE PROBLEM.
I am truly appalled that on this one issue alone that you continue to drink the Kool-Aid, since that is the only way to explain your reaction; it is either that or you are willfully blind and do not care to listen to a reasoned argument with supporting information and explanation.

THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF VENTILATORS!

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen - Nothing I have said validates your statement.