[chbot] COVID-19, are there any doctors, nurses, or medics on this list ?

[andrew dean]

I asked my wife (critical care nurse at chch ICU) and she is optimistic.  Apparently one of the three major ventilator manufacturers is Fischer and Paykal, here in nz, so we have a better stockpile than most hospitals worldwide.  Additionally, the hospital has stored all of their older model ventilators for many years and at the start of the outbreak had techs working to bring all the stored models ready for use.  Thirdly, and most importantly, the fact that NZ has shut down is very hopeful that nz will not be overwhelmed like the rest of the world.

Now, that’s just a nurse’s optimistic opinion, so there could very well be a pressing need at some point (and it would make sense to have emergency respirators ready as a backstop), but I think all of us are praying that the south island doesn’t get there.  Now if there were some way to get the gear to the countries that have been hammered…

cheers,
-a