> I don't think 2 years is enough to just "build new hostipal", let alone staff them

It totally is enough time to build one. Staffing is more problematic, but if it was a state-run hospital you could've converted a lot of national guardsmen into nurses in the meanwhile. You don't need a lot of talent to handle most Covid cases, just people able to follow the protocol.

Maybe it depends on the area. I know California has famously strict building codes, so I'd be impressed to see a hospital made up to code in 2 years (unless the government threw the entire checkbook at it of course.)

> You don't need a lot of talent to handle most Covid cases, just people able to follow the protocol.

Does this have any basis in facts? My understanding is keeping a covid patient alive in the ICU is incredibly demanding.

It is, but you don't need ICU for most hospitalizations. My dad had a cytokine storm, and the doc looked at the health ministry Covid protocol that said "inject IL-6 inhibitor and keep the patient prone and on supplementary oxygen" and did exactly that. You don't need full-grown doctors to do that.

Why not? The chinese built them in a few days.

This is not a "standard" hospital, this is basically comparable to a warzone... so containers, drywall, and considering that most people there don't need a specialist, they can reuse doctors, that have nothing to do during the lockdowns (eg. in my slovenia, government-employed orthopedic doctors had someone else check them in daily, to get paid and get covid extra-pay, while never showing up for work and working in private practy all that time).

There were numerous temporary hospitals (i.e tents) last summer. Presumably they were staffed.