Potential association between COVID-19 mortality and health-care resource availability

Wuhan and Hubei COVID-19 mortality analysis reveals the critical role of timely supply of medical resources

“…This speculation appears to be supported by the exponential growth of the COVID-19 recovery rate outside Hubei (Fig. 1B) where medical resources are relatively sufficient 10 . Collectively, the achievement made in Hubei (or Wuhan) may provide useful guidance for many countries to be better prepared for the potential pandemic 2 that may overwhelm local health care systems.…”

COVID-19: the need for continuous medical education and training

“…Availability of resources is vital in the fight against COVID-19. 3 In the early phase of the outbreak, only 436 critical-care physicians and 1328 nurses were available in 37 intensive-care units (ICUs) in Hubei province. In response to this public health emergency, 278 medical teams from 29 provinces in China were dispatched to Hubei province, 32 395 medical personnel in total.…”

COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 5: Reporting week ending 19:00 AEDT 29 February 2020

“…They discussed that the high and rapid escalation of disease may have quickly overwhelmed health services and been a contributing factor to Hubei's high case fatality rate (CFR). 17 In the wealthy and developed province of Zhejiang, the zero fatality rate despite the large number of cases might be due to well-resourced and accessible healthcare facilities. 17 These findings suggest that delaying the onset of the outbreak and slowing the escalation of cases may allow health authorities in countries not yet reporting sustained community transmission to better prepare for and adapt to manage increasing numbers of cases.…”

“…17 In the wealthy and developed province of Zhejiang, the zero fatality rate despite the large number of cases might be due to well-resourced and accessible healthcare facilities. 17 These findings suggest that delaying the onset of the outbreak and slowing the escalation of cases may allow health authorities in countries not yet reporting sustained community transmission to better prepare for and adapt to manage increasing numbers of cases. However, resource-limited regions might be overwhelmed earlier and at a lower number of cases.…”