Donald Trump has said the US will be in “a very good shape” in terms of the number of ventilators available by the time the coronavirus outbreak peaks.
The president said at least 10 US companies were now making the medical devices, and some might be exported.
The virus can cause severe respiratory issues, and ventilators help keep patients breathing.
However, several state and local officials have warned hospitals are at risk of running out of equipment.
Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey, the US state with the second-highest number of cases, was the latest to raise the alarm, saying the “need [was] dire”.
“We need more ventilators… This is real life. This is life and death,” he said on Twitter.