The seams can come apart with the hospitals not at full capacity.  There are only about 150 available ICU beds in Utah at the moment.  (My spouse is a nursing supervisor. The ICU there is nearly full.)  Many of these are not even equipped with ventilators.  If the general rule holds that 5% of the patients will eventually need ICU beds, well, you do the math.  Severe Covid-19 patients need ventilators.  The staff needs negative pressure rooms and other safety measures.  Did you know the average age of an ICU nurse is about 50?  A significant portion of the RN's are in the compromised categories we are trying to protect.

So what number crushes the system?

Also, we are limited by the number of qualified ICU RNs.  For every ICU of 12 beds, you are looking at 8-10 RNs, 15 techs, a couple of therapists, and a smattering of other personnel, and MDs, clerks, etc.  Around the clock. 

IHC (IMC is the flagship hospital) is cross-training RN's as fast as possible.  They are ripping out walls trying to create more negative pressure rooms to protect their staff. 

If we can't keep the numbers of cases down to the capacity of our ICU beds (not hospital capacity) we will see many more deaths.

What is the economic and educational value of a life?