The US and UK both have weaknesses in their healthcare systems which could trigger a collapse if the two countries experience the kind of severe coronavirus outbreak similar to Italy, a Financial Times analysis has found.
Both countries have fewer hospital beds per capita than most other western nations, the analysis shows. While the US and UK have around 2 beds per 1,000 people, Germany, by comparison has 6, while Japan has 7.8, according to the OECD.
The US also lags on the number of doctors for its population, with 2.6 per 1,000 people. That compares with 4.3 in Germany and 4 in Italy, where hospitals have had to erect inflatable tents in their grounds and patients crowd the corridors.