Esper: defence dept will provide respirators, ventilators

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday the Pentagon will provide five million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators to federal heath authorities to help in the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Esper said the ventilators are designed for use by troops and the military will need to train civilians on how to use them.

He said some may have "single-use" limitations. And he said the first million respirator masks will be made available immediately.

U.S. health officials have expressed concern over the shortage of ventilators.

Esper also said he has asked the Navy to prepare hospital ships for deployment. He said the Pentagon will also talk with state and local leaders to see if there is any need for field hospitals.

He said the field units could be used to take the pressure off local hospitals, by locating them nearby and using them to perhaps treat trauma patients.

Doing so, he said, could free up hospital rooms so they could be used for infectious patients.

The Pentagon has said its hospital ships and field units are designed for combat and have areas where multiple patients are together in one room.

As a result, they aren't set up to handle patients who need isolation.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.