Study sizes up Nashville's health care capacity

A new study shows that the Nashville area’s hospitals will have the capacity to handle a widespread COVID-19 outbreak only if residents follow through on social distancing measures and manage to stretch the region’s infection rate out to about 18 months.

Experts and state health officials say their immediate response is tied directly to the area’s infection rate. Social distancing will help slow its spread to a pace health care providers might be able to keep pace with.