US hospitals preparing for unprecedented coronavirus outbreak: Leaked document

US hospitals are preparing for the worst as officials project a scenario involving 96 million Americans infected with the coronavirus which causes the disease known as COVID-19.

News ID: 449484

Date: 08 March 2020 - 17:23

RNA - A leaked document published in media revealed US hospitals were preparing for a major coronavirus outbreak with unprecedented sale. The document estimates a death toll of 480,000 from 96 million coronavirus infections in the US.

In related news, top hospitals across the US were preparing for the coronavirus outbreak, according to a US healthcare executive.

Becca Bartles described the coronavirus outbreak as an "extremely significant" event.  "We're gearing up for something extremely significant."

"We've not yet seen an epidemic or pandemic in our lifetimes of this size and scope," warned Bartles, executive director of infectious disease prevention at Providence St. Joseph Health System, as quoted by the Business Insider on Saturday.

In the meantime, US authorities reported 17 deaths from the coronavirus and 377 infections across the country as of Friday, with the state of Florida reporting the first death on the US East Coast.

Media reports said hospitals and healthcare workers were already starting to feel the impact of the outbreak as it hits the cities across the US.

US lawmakers criticized the Trump administration as the coronavirus death toll continues to climb.

Since the novel coronavirus outbreak began in China last December, it has infected about 101,400 people globally and killed more than 3,400. The majority of cases and deaths remain in mainland China.

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