He says ventilators aren’t difficult to make, “but cannot be produced instantly”
Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Elon Musk offered to make ventilators as hospitals facing shortages due to the coronavirus outbreak, after a Twitter follower asked that he repurpose his factory to do so. However, the Tesla and SpaceX boss also noted that it’ll take time.
Nate Silver, the editor of statistics and polling-focused news site FiveThirtyEight, pressed him for details.
“Tesla makes cars with sophisticated hvac systems. SpaceX makes spacecraft with life support systems,” Musk replied. “Ventilators are not difficult, but cannot be produced instantly.”
Silver praised Musk and noted that hospitals in New York City and Seattle “are in acute danger,” then suggested medical facilities in need should tweet him and Musk.
The new strain of coronavirus, which can develop into a respiratory illness known as COVID-19, was discovered in Wuhan, China, in December. It’s now infected more than 218,000 people and caused more than 8,800 deaths globally. The US has more than 9,400 confirmed cases.
