These two charts below, sent around by Torsten Slok at Deutsche Bank compare the number of doctors and nurses in 26 countries. Underwhelming.
The US spends twice as much on healthcare as a %age of GDP as other advanced countries. But we are #17 in doctors, with fewer than half as many as Russia and Argentina per 1000 people and half as many as Sweden and Norway. And the US has fewer nurses and midwives than Brazil and all of Western Europe.
That’s relevant for our capacity to contain and treat the coronavirus in the coming months. And it will be a big item of discussion when the candidates debate what to do with the health care system in the November elections. Both the coronavirus and the aging baby boomers are going to increase demand and put a strain on our capacity in the coming years.
Also worth noting, the severe lack of capacity in India and Indonesia. Coronavirus gained a beachhead in both places this week.
JR
