Coronavirus Disease 2019 Capacity Response: Where's the Right Balance

Abstract

A major challenge facing almost all health care systems during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) pandemic has been preparing for sufficient inpatient capacity. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen numerous stories from northern Italy, New York City, and California of hospitals experiencing overwhelming volumes of patients. While demand for critical care beds was particularly high, the lack of acute care beds was also evident.