New York Hospitals Overwhelmed With Patients, USNS Comfort Deployed

As the nation’s battle against the coronavirus ramps up, the USNS Comfort hospital ship is deploying to New York, the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S.

The state accounts for more than half of the confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. right now.

With hospitalizations even higher than projected, officials are working to create more spaces for patients.

But they’re also short on necessary equipment.

“Ventilators, ventilators, ventilators, We need 30,000; we have in the existing hospital system 4,000 ventilators,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

It’s not just New York feeling the pressure, hospitals across the country are seeing a surge in patients along with shortages of personal protective equipment like masks and gowns.