Coronavirus outbreak may last 18 months and cause critical shortages, government report warns

Plan to battle pandemic provides broad powers to the president while warning the virus will affect US society in ‘multiple waves’

The coronavirus pandemic could affect the United States for as long as 18 months and cause a critical shortage of lifesaving medical supplies as the illness disrupts society in waves, according to a government report.

“State and local governments, as well as critical infrastructure and communications channels, will be stressed and potentially less reliable” as the outbreak continues to spread throughout the country, according to the grim 100-page report, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times.

The document continued: “These stresses may also increase the challenges of getting updated messages and coordinating guidance to these jurisdictions directly.”

The report was published on Friday, according to the paper, just as Donald Trump announced a national emergency surrounding Covid-19. All 50 states have since confirmed cases of the virus, which typically features symptoms associated with that of a mild flu (runny nose, shortness of breath and low-grade fever) but in some cases can be fatal, with severe symptoms such as pneumonia or respiratory complications.

The coronavirus pandemic would affect the US in “multiple waves”, the federal government said in its report, which was also intended as a plan of action for the government, outlining which agencies would assist in the federal response as hospitals were potentially inundated with the sick.

“Shortages of products may occur, impacting health care, emergency services and other elements of critical infrastructure,” the plan stated.

It continued: “This includes potentially critical shortages of diagnostics, medical supplies (including PPE [personal protective equipment] and pharmaceuticals), and staffing in some locations.”

After the plan was published, the Trump administration increased the price tag for its bailout package to nearly $1 trillion, NPR reported, with a significant portion of that money going towards cheques of up to $1,000 or more for all Americans (excluding millionaires) – an idea the White House floated during a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

So far, there have been at least 6,413 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the country, as the death toll reached at least 94.

Health officials say those most at risk include older people and others with underlying health conditions or complications, while the young are generally more resistant to the worst effects.

The plan also detailed a number of expansive powers the president could enact to help states battling large outbreaks of the virus, from releasing medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile to employing the Defence Production Act, which allows the commander-in-chief to increase production for critical supplies such as ventilators.

On Tuesday, the president said his administration was considering sending the US military to states such as New York, which have requested its help in setting up hospitals.

“The Army Corps of Engineers is ready, willing and able. We have to give them the go-ahead if we find that it’s going to be necessary. We think we can have quite a few units up very rapidly,” he said.

Vice-president Mike Pence, who is overseeing the administration’s response to the global pandemic, added: “I know the governor of New York has asked us to look at the Army Corps of Engineers, which could perhaps renovate existing buildings, but the president also has us inventorying what you all would understand as field hospitals or MASH [mobile army surgical] hospitals that could be deployed very quickly.”