# Can someone summarize the ventilator supply situation in New York state? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980 "2020-04-17T14:28:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![keno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/1 "2020-04-17T14:28:42Z")
Several weeks ago, Gov Cuomo repeatedly asserted they needed 30,000 ventilators. This week the news is reporting NY is sending 400 ventilators to California. Did NY acquire the 30,000? Did they ultimately not need 30,000? If so, how many did they actually require and acquire? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/2 "2020-04-17T14:41:50Z")
For one thing, doctors in New York have learned how to treat some patients without putting them on ventilators. As [this article](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/nyregion/new-york-coronavirus.html) describes, some patients are being kept conscious, given supplemental oxygen and not allowed to lie on their backs but instead are sitting up or are lying on their sides or their stomachs. This allows some to improve their breathing without needing a ventilator. So fewer ventilators may be needed overall. Edited to add, I’ve also heard that some patients are being given CPAP or BiPAP machines for treatment instead of ventilators. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/3 "2020-04-17T14:58:30Z")
There’s no way to determine exactly how many ventilators are needed now or will be needed in the future so when they are in short supply a request for more than enough is expected. Units will fail over time as well and need replacement parts also, all that adds to the uncertainty. As noted above doctors are finding alternatives to ventilators so the need is diminishing somewhat. At the same time Cuomo is cooperating with other governors in an effort to fairly distribute all resources. Almost every number you hear associated with this pandemic is an estimate or a guess. They will never add up. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/4 "2020-04-17T15:05:10Z")
> [@keno](#): > > This week the news is reporting NY is sending 400 ventilators to California. BTW, I have not heard this. In fact, I believe California sent some to New York and both California and New York sent ventilators to Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/5 "2020-04-17T15:08:40Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Almost every number you hear associated with this pandemic is an estimate or a guess. They will never add up. And there’s the issue that the estimate of 30,000 needed was made several weeks ago, when no one had any idea if social distancing orders would be given, if they would be followed, or how much of an effect they would have on the spread of the disease. 30,000 was close to a worst-case scenario, which we’ve so far avoided via other means. ---
**Author:** ![keno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/6 "2020-04-17T15:38:37Z")
[INDENT][/INDENT] > [@](#): > > Dewey Finn > BTW, I have not heard this. In fact, I believe California sent some to New York and both California and New York sent ventilators to Michigan. Dewey - you’re correct, I got my recipient state wrong. But in the same vein, see this from Fox [INDENT]Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that New York will provide ventilators to Michigan and Maryland, just over two weeks after claiming his state was short by tens of thousands. [URL=“[Cuomo says New York giving away some ventilators, coronavirus outbreak 'stabilized' there | Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/us/cuomo-says-new-york-giving-away-some-ventilators-coronavirus-outbreak-stabilized-there)”][https://www.foxnews.com/us/cuomo-says-new-york-giving-away-some-ventilators-coronavirus-outbreak-stabilized-there[/URL[/INDENT]](https://www.foxnews.com/us/cuomo-says-new-york-giving-away-some-ventilators-coronavirus-outbreak-stabilized-there%5B/URL%5B/INDENT%5D)] ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/7 "2020-04-17T15:44:00Z")
As said, the situation in New York changed. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/8 "2020-04-17T16:09:36Z")
The peak number of ventilators in use was 5,008. [New York](https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/china-oregon-sending-1100-ventilators-ny-cuomo-69977854)was able to purchase 2,500, the federal government sent 4,400 ventilators, Chinese billionaires sent 1,000 and Oregon sent 140. NYC had 3,500 before the crisis. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/9 "2020-04-17T16:20:43Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > The peak number of ventilators in use was 5,008. [New York](https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/china-oregon-sending-1100-ventilators-ny-cuomo-69977854)was able to purchase 2,500, the federal government sent 4,400 ventilators, Chinese billionaires sent 1,000 and Oregon sent 140. NYC had 3,500 before the crisis. Note the following sentence from that ABC News story: “The influx offered some hope after the governor repeatedly warned that the state’s supply of the vital machines would be exhausted in days if the number of critically ill coronavirus patients kept growing at the current rate.” In other words, the number of ventilators the state thought they would need was a projection based on how the number of patients was growing. At one point, the trend was upward and the fear was that they would not have enough. The idea is not to have to chose which patient gets a ventilator and which is allowed to die without one. ---
**Author:** ![keno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/10 "2020-04-17T16:26:53Z")
Thanks, ignorance fought ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-summarize-the-ventilator-supply-situation-in-new-york-state/851980/11 "2020-04-18T02:52:18Z")
Washington state also sent some or perhaps returned them to the federal stockpile for distribution to other states. Did Louisiana get any? I understand they were in desperate need of some not too long ago.