So why was NY adapting the ventilators to serve two people if the feds had a stockpile?
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-ventilators/one-ventilator-two-patients-new-york-hospitals-shift-to-crisis-mode-idUSKBN21D3M1By Wednesday, he wrote, there were “two patients being carefully managed on one ventilator.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who says his staff is struggling to find enough machines on the market, has touted the adaptation as a potential life-saver. “It’s not ideal,” he told reporters, “but we believe it’s workable.”
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration, which regulates medical device manufacturers, gave emergency authorization on Tuesday allowing ventilators to be modified using a splitter tube to serve multiple COVID-19 patients, though manufacturers still must share safety information with regulators.