By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Kansas is prepared for an uptick in coronavirus cases, according to First District Congressman Roger Marshall.
Dr. Marshall, a Great Bend gynecologist, wrote in his Friday newsletter about new data, as of April 1, from researchers at the University of Washington.
"President Trump and his team believe that while the coronavirus will peak around April 15 in the United States, it will peak in Kansas in late April or early May," wrote Marshall.
That same national data, available here, shows Kansas is not expected to experience a shortage in overall hospital beds.
"Though we might be short a few ICU beds, and perhaps ventilators, I’m sure we can make some adjustments, like converting surgical recovery rooms into ICU beds or, as we have already seen in hospitals across the nation, place two or even four patients onto a single ventilator with some minor adjustments," Marshall suggested.
"The critical issue going forward will be health care staff – the doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists that are required to provide patients with around-the-clock care. We must continue to do everything we can to support our healthcare workers on the front lines of this crisis."
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent global health research center at the University of Washington.