Efforts to reduce expenses in clinics and small hospitals will be taken

As hospitals struggle financially and have difficulty acquiring the medical resources they need due to COVID-19, they are forced to ration resources and make budget and equipment cuts. Efforts to conserve money and equipment are widespread and varied, but almost every healthcare clinic has been forced to do so during the pandemic. A major effort to cut back and save resources is the restriction of testing, Many states, including California and New York, have issued mandates that only people showing very obvious and intense symptoms should be tested.^[1] This is to conserve tests for those in extreme need due to a large shortage of tests. However, restricted testing means many cases go unnoticed and lead to more spreading of the virus. Healthcare professionals are put in a tough position and forced to conserve. Other efforts to reduce expenses and save resources have worked as creative solutions, but unfortunately, most have negative consequences for patient or healthcare worker safety. Most healthcare workers are no longer wearing masks when treating any patients that don't have a bad case of COVID-19, leading to exposure between patients and healthcare workers, as well as between healthcare workers. Retired doctors are being encouraged to come out and work, and medical students are being encouraged to graduate early to enter the workforce. Many specialists from unrelated disciplines, such as dermatologists or ophthalmologists, are staffing emergency rooms and treating patients far outside their expertise.^[1] All of these measures to reduce expenses are necessary, but not ideal for patient or doctor safety in the long run.

[P1] The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed U.S. hospitals more than their resources can handle. [P2] To cope with resources spread too thinly, the pandemic has lead hospitals to take measures to save money and equipment.