FEMA medical supplies arrive in Ohio

A large shipment of medical supplies to help fight the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Columbus Sunday, as the number of cases in the U.S. continues to climb and officials race to properly equip health care workers on the frontlines.

The cargo plane landed at Rickenbacker International Airport with 2.85 million surgical masks, 18,650 gowns, 170,000 N-95 respirators and 11.8 million gloves to be distributed around the country as part of an effort from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Three out of four U.S. hospitals surveyed are already treating patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, according to a federal report that finds hospitals expect to be overwhelmed as cases rocket toward their projected peak.

A report Monday from a federal watchdog agency warns that different, widely reported problems are feeding off each other in a vicious cycle. Such problems include insufficient tests, slow results, scarcity of protective gear, the shortage of breathing machines for seriously ill patients and burned-out staffs anxious for their own safety.

The inspector general's report is based on a telephone survey of 323 hospitals around the country, from March 23-27. With hundreds of new coronavirus cases daily, the situation is becoming more dire for many the nation's 6,000 hospitals. Others can still scramble to prepare.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as a fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and can be fatal.

The U.S. has more diagnosed cases in the global pandemic than any other country, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Projections show the nation will see the peak impact of the virus later this month.