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Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

reuters.com

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Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#41

Post by blunte »

ALittleLight wrote: post #31
blunte wrote: post #29

For a comparison of scale, consider the (rare) healthcare worker [who does not work just for money (and therefore does not actually need the day's or month's wage) who still goes into work to help the sick during this time] to _the Facebook_ who has built its wealth via very questionable means and is now donating supplies it otherwise did not need. Forgive my pessimism here, but I'm not impressed. Good that they did…

When someone does something good, I don't think it should be an impulse to point out that others have done better. Donating supplies is useful. Facebook should be lauded for that.

In isolation of actions, sure. But in the scope of Facebook's normal actions...?

Are we so easily distracted by the sparkly costless action that they now take that we forget the several known (and who knows how many unknown) deceptive and harmful actions they have intentionally taken against us in pursuit of money?

I'm not trashing them for doing something good. But just as I don't bow to the guy on the street that puts his candy wrapper in the rubbish bin instead of throwing it on the ground, I don't admire FB for giving out something they already possessed and were not having a planned use of.

Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#42

Post by abakker »

nullc wrote: post #30
epistasis wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is enough for 14 days for ~50,000 people at 1/day. It seems like huge overkill when stated as a single number, but two weeks is a reasonable amount to plan for, especially for reserves at a time when the supply chain is stressed. I wish our hospitals' administration had as much foresight. I think this crisis is making it clear that management in health care is vastly overpaid.

If you're wearing an n95 mask for particulate pollution there isn't a particular reason why you can't reuse it. When I heard the numbers, I figured they purchased extra so they could also supply them to the surrounding community so as to avoid drama about facebook employees having masks while few others did.

I mean, they're good for 8-10 hours, but they don't last indefinitely.

Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#43

Post by KarlKemp »

nikolay wrote: post #4

Why was Facebook stashing so many masks? Anyway, if they didn't donate them, the Goverment said they are gonna confiscate them, and this was already clear.

The government also said that “everyone who wants to get tested can get tested”. And with all the specificity we have come to expect and love, he-who-shall-not-be-named also said “lots and lots, very much many” masks had been acquired.

Yet according to https://www.vox.com/2020/3/23/21191003/coronavirus-trump-def..., the federal government has not made a single order for masks, ventilators, or any other material. So I’d be surprised if they directly went for requisitions, especially from non-producers such as Facebook. I’d actually be surprised if they even knew Facebook had masks.

So: have a link for “the government said”?

Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#44

Post by DecoPerson »

abakker wrote: post #42
nullc wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're wearing an n95 mask for particulate pollution there isn't a particular reason why you can't reuse it. When I heard the numbers, I figured they purchased extra so they could also supply them to the surrounding community so as to avoid drama about facebook employees having masks while few others did.

I mean, they're good for 8-10 hours, but they don't last indefinitely.

As far as I’ve heard, this is what the label recommends; however, in practice, they can be used for much longer.

(I cannot remember my sources, sorry.)

Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#45

Post by hammock »

abakker wrote: post #42
nullc wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're wearing an n95 mask for particulate pollution there isn't a particular reason why you can't reuse it. When I heard the numbers, I figured they purchased extra so they could also supply them to the surrounding community so as to avoid drama about facebook employees having masks while few others did.

I mean, they're good for 8-10 hours, but they don't last indefinitely.

Wore mine for 2 weeks during the fires when they were in short supply. It was definitely worse for wear at the end. And mine didn't have a valve on it. If it did, it might have lasted longer.

Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#46

Post by sheikheddy »

robomartin wrote: post #40

A note for those critical about donations not coming sooner: It is important to understand hospitals and doctors could not legally use industrial N95 masks. No hospital could accept them without exposing themselves to massive litigation. I know this sounds stupid from outside the US. Sadly, this is part of our reality. The key that unlocked donations was President Trump. Upon learning of this restriction he quickly p…

When I think about the reasons the cost of US healthcare is so high, over-legislation is definitely up there, but so is the arms race between insurance and healthcare providers. It seems to me that the hight cost just is a symptom, and that we should focus our efforts on deregulation so that we drive prices down to competitive levels.

Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#47

Post by tuna-piano »

It seems many companies, prudently, had stocks of masks for their employees. Mastercard donated 25k masks and Goldman Sachs 20k[1].

My question is why the US government didn't have a bigger stockpile of them? We treat national security products with such deference, but yet defense against pandemics has been an afterthought.

[1]https://www.wsj.com/articles/financial-institutions-share-st...

Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#48

Post by vmh1928 »

abakker wrote: post #42
nullc wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're wearing an n95 mask for particulate pollution there isn't a particular reason why you can't reuse it. When I heard the numbers, I figured they purchased extra so they could also supply them to the surrounding community so as to avoid drama about facebook employees having masks while few others did.

I mean, they're good for 8-10 hours, but they don't last indefinitely.

I used to mow 1/2 acre of Bermuda grass at least once a week from May - October on a riding mower. Would take 2 1/2 hours. I used the n95's you get at Home Depot and would reuse them for many weeks and probably could have continued to reuse them until I couldn't breath through them or the straps broke. They're for stopping particulates so as long as they're not clogged they still work. If the particulates are infectious virus particles then reuse becomes more problematic but they still filter particles.

Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#49

Post by jb775 »

epistasis wrote: post #25
Aloha wrote: post #8

To all who are wondering why Facebook had masks - “To help, Facebook donated our emergency reserve of 720,000 masks that we had bought in case the wildfires continued,”

Which is enough for 14 days for ~50,000 people at 1/day. It seems like huge overkill when stated as a single number, but two weeks is a reasonable amount to plan for, especially for reserves at a time when the supply chain is stressed. I wish our hospitals' administration had as much foresight. I think this crisis is making it clear that management in health care is vastly overpaid.

And it makes you wonder how exactly healthcare $$$ is flowing through the supply chain. It obviously isn't tied up in equipment inventory or logistics management. Time to shake the healthcare-costs tree and see what falls out!

Re: Facebook donates emergency reserve of 720k masks

#50

Post by tedunangst »

tuna-piano wrote: post #47

It seems many companies, prudently, had stocks of masks for their employees. Mastercard donated 25k masks and Goldman Sachs 20k[1]. My question is why the US government didn't have a bigger stockpile of them? We treat national security products with such deference, but yet defense against pandemics has been an afterthought. [1] https://www.wsj.com/articles/financial-institutions-share-st...

They were used up for swine flu and never restocked.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/face-masks-in-...

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