Vice President Pence meets with hospital executives to talk challenges as coronavirus spreads

WASHINGTON – “A couple of cases today are going to be many, many cases tomorrow,” Anthony Fauci said.

The White House Coronavirus Task Force wants to ensure hospitals and health care centers around the country are ready for the spread of the virus to get worse.

“We have to change our behavior. We have to assume that we are going to get hit,” Fauci said.

Doctor Anthony Fauci took questions from lawmakers on the hill Wednesday as Vice President Mike Pence hosted 15 health care and hospital executives at the White House.

“We’re at a point now whereas cases continue to escalate, we really need to ensure that any requests being made by hospitals to obtain products are filled,” Soumi Saha, with Premier Health Inc., said.

Soumi Saha with Premier Healthcare Company says the coronavirus is already stretching hospital resources thin.

She says the federal government should step in now to help connect health care networks with medical supplies they need.

“That has meant masks, respirator masks but also ensuring they have access to gloves, surgical gowns, etc. that are needed in order to help prevent the spread of the disease,” Soumi said.

“I think they have to talk about how fast this disease is going to progress,” Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said.

Senator Dianne Feinstein says the White House should ask for help from experts inside and outside the healthcare field to make sure hospitals are ready for the outbreak to spread.

“Decisions have to be made and that should be discussed with a wide range of people so that when decisions are made everybody falls in line,” Feinstein said.

Those decisions impact both coronavirus patients and health professionals who treat them.