Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

But with covid-19 the numbers of people dying is doubling every 3 days.

80, 160, 320, 640, 1280, 2560, 5120, 10,240, 20,480

Potentially Covid-19 would hit that 29200 figure in about 25 days from today.

We are now in complete lockdown to avoid full blown meltdown of the health care system. Not as bad as Italy and Spain, but still bad.

What concerns me in the US:

* The spring breakers. Massive number of college students are currently traveling and partying around the country and then returning home to their parents. These are young people without symptoms who are carrying the virus across the country and state borders. You're going to see a massive spike in cases in about a week I am afraid.

* Generally low regard of authorities, and a "culture of individualism". Many people are just going to say it's another scare tactic, "big government", mainstream media, some conspiracy etc. People - up to the president - really think they know better than scientist who have devoted their lives to studying contagious diseases.

* Patch work approach to public health. Each state has its own regulations and measures. This is not good when you need to act fast. I except federal martial law to override states could come to effect (in my country it already is - the government is currently decreeing through martial law and temporarily suppressing basic freedoms like freedom of movement protected in our constitution).

* Culture of working while sick. Many low income earners in US have no access to sick pay so they are forced to work even if sick. I understand this was however being addressed by temporarily introducing federal sick pay? If not, I'd hurry the f-ck up with that. NOW.

Remember that the virus takes effect after a delay of up to 14 days. If you're seeing ICUs filling up today and not taking measures to stop the spread, you're going to require military scale hospitals next week.

I live in the city of New York and I think it's important that everyone nationally absorb what is happening right now and the "anecdotes" are important. By anecdotes, I mean, in particular the New York Times story and video published last night about Elmhurst Hospital in Queens (a very hard hit borough)(https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/nyregion/nyc-coronavirus-...).

People are dying of Covid at this hospital in chairs or on floors ("Some have died inside the emergency room while waiting for a bed"). People are dying without their loved ones allowed or able to be present (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/opinion/coronavirus-hospi...) (The morgues are filling up and they are building outfoor refrigerators to hold the bodies (this is in the Elmhurst story). People with babies due are giving birth alone without their partners (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/parenting/coronavirus-lab...). People (including one in Elmhurst story with fever) are waiting multiple days outdoors (including rain) for a test and being turned away day after day after waiting all day.

Why talk about this? Is it for clickbait? To be dramatic? Because we're certain the NYC scale problems will spread to less dense areas?

No. It is because many many people in this country are continuing to not take this situation seriously. Many people (including relatives of mine on Facebook) think this is completely overblow, like the flu, not worth keeping people at home for given economic cost.

Many of these people have already ignored the hard evidence, the numbers, the consequences. Talking about terrible things that are starting to happen -- "anecdotes" -- may help shake some of these people out of their denial. And if they are prepared, and IF anything approaching NYC scale problems happens in their area, there is a better chance they will help rather than hinder efforts to flatten the curve.

Please don't dismiss what is happening here as anecdote or irrelevant. Believe me, I'm no better than you, I did this too, when this was "just" in Wuhan, or "just" in China, or "just" in Italy. I took a trip at the end of February in the U.S. on an airplane. I look back -- what was I thinking?! Now I'm locked in my apartment going on three weeks. My wife had a fever for 6 hours a little over a week ago, she's been coughing. Probably we're ok. But it's in the back of your head: What if I get sick, and she gets worse, who will take care of our kids? What if they close the stores and we can't get groceries?

I wish some of the anecdotes had reached me earlier. I hope some of these anecdotes reach others.