Cuomo says he doesn't believe New York will 'be able to flatten the curve' enough to meet health care system's capacity

Much has been made about efforts to "flatten the curve" during the coronavirus pandemic. That is, making sure the number of infected patients doesn't surpass the health care system's capacity.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Monday he doesn't believe his state will be able to do that. To counter, he's asking the federal government to do more and is reportedly working with the National Guard to identify facilities like dorm rooms and old nursing homes that could be retrofitted as hospitals.

Despite the striking statement by Cuomo, who oversees a state with one of the worst outbreaks in the country, former Food and Drug Administration commission Scott Gottlieb, who has called from swift action in the crisis' early stages, is impressed with the steps taken by states in recent days to mitigate the spread, arguing there's "cause for optimism." While he said there will undoubtedly be hard times in the next few weeks, he claimed the U.S. is ahead of China at a comparable point during the epidemic.

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Gottlieb added the priority now should be to focus on hospital capacity, and prepare for a potential surge in patients in cities like New York and Seattle.