What ventilators taught us
During some of the darker hours in the battle against COVID- 19, government leaders called for the mass production of ventilators due to a perceived shortage that, fortunately, did not manifest.
Still, manufacturing companies ramped up production with incredible swiftness and have delivered tens of thousands of such devices to the National Strategic Stockpile since early summer. Meanwhile, doctors moved away from using ventilators to treat coronavirus patients due to the high death rates of patients who used them. Health care experts have uncovered more effective treatments.
More ventilators were on the way, but the Department of Health and Human Services stated Sept. 1 that the stockpile has reached maximum capacity and is terminating the remainder of deliveries from its current contracts, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
After all of the accusatory fingerpointing among politicians and panicked pleas for assistance from some health care workers, the ventilator crisis has ended with a whimper.
This is the best way it could have ended.
In late March, President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to direct private companies — including General Motors and Ford — to pivot toward building ventilators. Dozens of researchers worked toward developing simpler ventilators using more common materials or even 3D printers; some secured federal Food and Drug Administration approval on an emergencyuse basis.
Scientists have evolved their approach to the pandemic and potential treatments rapidly over recent months. Ventilators as a strategy have largely been abandoned, but the ventilator response is revelatory.
First, the extreme hype about shortages proved to be somewhat sensationalized, largely due to ongoing research on best practices in treatment. But, second, in just a few months, companies delivered thousands of pieces of equipment, building new supply chains and assembly lines and demonstrating once more the might of American industry.
When harnessed appropriately, there’s little it can’t accomplish.