[roflyear]

That's good for the top of it, what about the bottom, on the cement? If someone spills water, or mops the floor, it will get damaged very easily.

Silly idea IMO - metal framed beds are extremely durable.

[uoaei]

And much harder to pack and ship. You could probably fit 1000 cardboard beds in the same volume of a cargo hold as 100 metal cots. Also, there are many local shops who already have the tools to mass-produce cardboard boxes with arbitrary shapes; the same cannot be said of cots.

And as the article explicitly states, these are intended for the first responders, not for long-term infirmary. They don't need to last more than a few days.

[roflyear]

I don't think it's 10:1 volume, maybe weight.

"Don't need to last more than a few days" well, maybe not, but they will be used for a while absolutely.