MedStar hospitals crippled by computer virus

Editor's Note

Washington DC-area MedStar hospitals were hit by a computer virus that forced all computers offline on March 28, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The shutdown of computers was the latest against US hospitals after a California hospital paid ransom to free its infected systems using bitcoin currency.

The FBI is assessing whether a similar situation occurred at MedStar. 

Modern medicine in the Washington area reverted to 1960s-era paper systems when one of the largest hospital chains was crippled by a virus that shuttered its computers for patients and medical staff.