Many countries are still in the early stages of the new corona virus outbreak. Others are gearing up and bracing for impact, learning from the experiences of badly-hit places. In outbreak epicenters such like Italy; local hospitals continue to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of seriously ill patients. And the survival of those patients heavily on a particular piece of medical equipment: The ventilator.
With the rising number of COVID 19 -positive cases worldwide—statistics are at 1,278,523 at the time of this writing—an additional requirement of over 200,000 ventilators in centers, clinics, and hospitals is projected to help tide patients over the most critical stage of the disease.
With scarce supply of this increasingly critical machine, governments all over the world are working to procure new, used, refurbished, and buy and sell ventilators, or even ones they can repair and use in an effort to keep their hospitals and health centers sufficiently equipped should cases reach even more exponential highs.
As the pandemic sweeps over the world, the question remains: Why are ventilators essential in the battle against this new virus? And is stocking up on Drager, ITV 950, Maquet, Siemens 300, and other types of ventilator machines necessary to beat the pandemic? We dig deeper into what this piece of medical equipment does and how it helps save the lives of the infected.
A ventilator is a mechanical breathing device that helps pump air and oxygen into the lungs in patients whose respiratory systems are weakened by the virus. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) at least 1 in 6 COVID 19 patients can become seriously ill and develop breathing difficulties. An ample supply of ventilator machines is therefore important to help more patients get a fighting chance against the potentially fatal disease. With the current inventory of ventilators in many hospitals around the world being used to support other patients with severe, non-COVID 19-related ailments, it is even more crucial to ensure that supply is sufficient for when the outbreak reaches its peak height.
Newer models of adult and pediatric ventilator machines are also in high demand as the viral outbreak runs its course across the globe. Some of the most widely sought after models that offer advanced features, ideal for intensive care unit requirements include Schiller’s Neumovent Graphnet, the TS ICU Ventilator, Philips Trilogy, Max Critical Care Ventilator, and Servovent 300, each with its own unique set of features and functions that can help increase patients’ comfort as well as their ability to battle the complications of the new corona virus disease.
In the midst of the COVID 19 outbreak, one of the biggest challenges that health worker around the world face is the sheer volume of patients coming in and needing critical care in local health facilities, some to the point of overtaking available medical resources and infrastructure. This is why it is critical for governments to use their resources wisely and invest in equipment that patients and health professionals need the most—ventilators that can save the lives of the critically infected.