Map estimates which hospital referral areas could see shortages of ICU beds, ventilators; searchable by ZIP code

Areas in gold are estimated as likely places where the need for ventilators could overwhelm the supply. Another map makes  like estimates for beds in intensive-care units. (Washington Post map; click on the image to enlarge it.)

"Amid the covid-19 pandemic, pinpointing the number and location of ICU beds, ventilators and doctors with specialized training is critical for local, state and federal officials trying to forge an effective response," The Washington Post reports. "But the pandemic has revealed a dearth of reliable data about the key parts of the nation’s health-care system now under assault. That leaves decision-makers operating in the dark as the virus — which has now killed more than 16,000 people in the United States — surges, spreading from urban areas like New York City and New Orleans into the rest of America."

The Post mined data about key metrics such as total hospital beds, intensive-care-unit beds and ventilator stocks, and analyzed it to estimate the availability of such resources to treat covid-19 patients who required prolonged hospitalization.

"The Post conducted a stress test of sorts on available resources, which revealed a patchwork of possible preparedness shortcomings in cities and towns where the full force of the virus has yet to hit and where people may not be following isolation and social distancing orders," the newspaper reports. "125 million adults, or 48 percent of the U.S. adult population, live where virus patients could overwhelm the supply of mechanical ventilators. Those breathing machines are among the key hospital resources that can help patients facing death when the disease attacks their lungs."

An interactive feature allows you to enter a ZIP code to get a report for your hospital referral region.