Therapist: Need for ventilators is overwhelming

Chicago respiratory therapist Brady Scott says he feels overwhelmed by the pandemic of the new coronavirus.

Scott says so many people need breathing machines that simply haven't been manufactured yet. "And it's not just overwhelming where I'm at, where I work, it's overwhelming in hospitals all across the country."

Scott is an associate professor of respiratory care and a respiratory therapist at Rush University Medical Center.

He says it's absolutely critical some COVID-19 patients with breathing problems have access to ventilators. "Otherwise, to be honest with you, they would die, says Scott.

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