New York City nervously braces for another "explosive spread"

In many cases, the city is better prepared: it knows the warning signs, hospitals are communicating weekly to share best practices and other information, and New Yorkers are largely complying with social distancing and mask guidance to cut down on transmission.

But in some areas, the wisdom of experience won’t be enough. The hospitals need to create space for surge capacity while maintaining operations that were halted when the virus first struck, nearly bankrupting even the wealthiest systems; they’ll have to build up testing capacity despite equipment shortages; and they’ll have to secure the necessary supplies for treating and diagnosing patients amid global demand.

The biggest challenge, though, is staff. The army of medical worker reinforcements who came to New York’s aid are now dispatched to hot spots around the country, and many of those based in the city are still enduring the trauma of witnessing horrors they never could have imagined in February.