"When the hospitals get overwhelmed, you have to say, 'Okay, she lives, she lives, but he dies.."

[RandySF]

Link to tweet

?s=20

MSNBC
@MSNBC
Don McNeil: "When the hospitals get overwhelmed, you have to say, 'Okay, she lives, she lives, but he dies...those are the choices they are making in Northern Italy right now. And they're going to be making them all over Italy pretty soon. And we will too"

[beachbumbob]

1. been going on for a few weeks in Italy and itss taking a real toll on the doctors and nurses who

have to make the decision. Its a wake call that american doctors and nurses are realizing. I have niece who is a doctor, 2 neices and 2 daughters who are nurses and its going to be hard when that reality is faced. This is the only way and resources MUST be used for the most good, of the many and not wasted on saving the few that have little chance to survive.

Its war, its survival. It the cost will be huge on many fronts

[tirebiter]

2. Italy has universal free healthcare

That's not a criticism, just the reality.

[docgee]

3. So does that mean whoever has the better insurance gets to live in the US?

[LisaL]

6. As always.

[Bettie]

8. Universal health care versus High Cost private insurance

doesn't make more hospital beds and ventilators available.

Italy has more hospital beds than we do available per 1000 population.

They still don't have enough beds and ventilators to go around to the people who are having complications.

There, they do triage functions; here, priority will be assigned by which patients make the hospital more money. If you have no insurance, not getting sick is really your only option.

Here, it will be who can afford that bed/ventilator.

One place this information can be found: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OECD_countries_by_hospital_beds

[abqtommy]

4. Ever since I was a youngster I've been aware of the old saying "Women and children first" as it

applied to maritime disasters like a ship sinking. It means that women and children are the first to be allowed in the lifeboats and more likely to survive. That's basically a common-sense approach that
ensures the survival of the human race and it applies across the board to all situations that require
a choice.

I don't have a problem with that. Meanwhile, I'm continuing to advocate for my own survival and the survival of others.

[mitch96]

5. I guess it's the "sacrifice the few for the greater good" kinda thing............... nt

[USALiberal]

7. I'm 61, kids out on their own, any younger parent with kids should get treated before me. nt

[tirebiter]

9. The point is is universal healthcare did not keep it from happening

In the US as beds are filled the emergency status will allow for transition and acquisition of standing structures and the use of military and National Guard MASH units probably on military reservations. That's just the initial SOP, historically. If we"d started a couple months ago, testing could nave born done on a mass scale and the disease contained. South Korea is about the best example of that.