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Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire

nytimes.com

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Re: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire

#11

Post by Bograff »

outlace wrote: post #9

There is reason to believe that the hospital mask shortage is due in no small part to employee (and patient/family) theft of masks and not necessarily due to dramatically increased need at hospitals (at least not yet). I say this as a resident physician at an urban hospital in the US. We're now severely low on N95 masks and moderately low on surgical masks but we have only had less than a dozen confirmed covid-19 cas…

We should have stockpiles for just this sort of situation. They were either inadequately supplied or are sitting on resources.

https://www.phe.gov/about/sns/Pages/default.aspx

Re: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire

#13

Post by jeremydw »

I keep seeing articles like this pop up. During one of the first coronavirus press conferences, the White House invited CEOs from Walmart, Target, CVS, etc. – presumably to show strength of the private sector.

On the flip side, why can't we enlist money and resources from the private sector to quickly fix some of these supply issues? For example:

- Convert car factories to produce masks and ventilators.

- Convert construction companies to build makeshift hospitals. (Or use hotels.)

- Use tech companies to improve national information access with regards to CV19 testing and track and help patients using their software on their phones to help with contact tracing.

I realize that it's not as simple as pressing a button and instantly converting a factory that makes Teslas into one that makes masks. I also realize there are potential privacy concerns with nationalized information tracking.

But, we're about to enter an unprecedented public health crisis. We have resources that can lessen the impact if we just align and get behind this direction.

I can't help but think we could do more and not just wait for the shortage to happen, and for the curve to spike.

We stockpile enough nukes to basically destroy the whole Earth (exaggeration but you get the idea), but we can't stockpile some ventilators and face masks in case of a pandemic? You can't fight a pandemic with diplomacy. At least you can fight a foreign enemy with that.

Re: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire

#14

Post by asdfasgasdgasdg »

jeremydw wrote: post #13

I keep seeing articles like this pop up. During one of the first coronavirus press conferences, the White House invited CEOs from Walmart, Target, CVS, etc. – presumably to show strength of the private sector. On the flip side, why can't we enlist money and resources from the private sector to quickly fix some of these supply issues? For example: - Convert car factories to produce masks and ventilators. - Convert con…

You need the tools, but you don't have them. So you need the tools that make the tools. But you don't have those either. So you have two layers of tools you need to make from basic tools. Then you need supply chains for all the inputs. It's not as easy as waving a magic wand. But I do suspect that if we had started in January something could have been done.

Re: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire

#16

Post by elihu »

I wonder what if there's a straightforward way to make facemasks by hand, or with tools that are generally available?

I'm imagining cutting apart a furnace filter and wrapping the fabric around a wire frame, or something like that. If someone were to develop a process that was simple and reliably repeatable and produced good quality effective masks, that could be a way for otherwise un-busy people to keep hospital staff supplied.

One issue I suppose is whether there are upstream bottlenecks, like not being able to get a reliable supply of the right kinds of filter material.

Re: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire

#17

Post by asdfasgasdgasdg »

aaron695 wrote: post #10

If this article was dated January I might care. Everyone in the hospitals from nurses to management knew exactly what is coming but did nothing. And nothing has even happened yet, wait till the virus actually arrives in a few weeks. Did any hospital plan or ask for help properly? Did any nurses union raise the issue? Anyway they have numerous studies from Africa where they can't afford equipment, rather than the lack…

You will care if you need treatment but the hospitals are understaffed because all the healthcare workers are sick.

Re: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire

#18

Post by quietthrow »

Again severe failure on the govt’s part. Their inaction in when it was needed the most led to all these circumstances that makes it ripe for situations like these. As the number of infections spread and economic situation get worse these kind of things will get really really bad. Once the second and third order effects kick in it’s going to be a catastrophe. And our leaders answer to all of this is to give $1200 checks to people. All they care is about the economy as it gives them higher odds for their reelection. I don’t understand how such incompetence can be tolerated and why they are not fired and instead have to wait till next election.

Re: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire

#19

Post by rhegart »

outlace wrote: post #9

There is reason to believe that the hospital mask shortage is due in no small part to employee (and patient/family) theft of masks and not necessarily due to dramatically increased need at hospitals (at least not yet). I say this as a resident physician at an urban hospital in the US. We're now severely low on N95 masks and moderately low on surgical masks but we have only had less than a dozen confirmed covid-19 cas…

This. There are barely any covid 19 patients yet hospitals are low on masks due to panic. Beds are still open and ventilators contrary to media claims are not currently on a shortage.

Re: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire

#20

Post by j-c-hewitt »

elihu wrote: post #16

I wonder what if there's a straightforward way to make facemasks by hand, or with tools that are generally available? I'm imagining cutting apart a furnace filter and wrapping the fabric around a wire frame, or something like that. If someone were to develop a process that was simple and reliably repeatable and produced good quality effective masks, that could be a way for otherwise un-busy people to keep hospital st…

There are a lot of hospitals directing employees to sew them by hand.

There is a simple and reliably repeatable method: having a factory. Not sure what is needed but there are lots of suppliers on Alibaba for this type of item. There are lots of rumors about export controls in China, denials of the same from Chinese officials, and rumors of seizure by US customs.

Never imported medical stuff but anecdotally many US sellers are being solicited by Chinese factories looking to sell masks and other PPE into the US.

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