US struggles to fill requests for protective gear
4 years, 9 months ago

US struggles to fill requests for protective gear

Associated Press  

SALEM, Ore. — The U.S. government is rushing protective equipment to states, packing dozens of flights and hundreds of trucks with supplies for medical workers who will be on the front lines of the coronavirus fight. I am out of patience at this point.” The state requested hundreds of thousands of respirators, surgical masks, gloves and other protective equipment from the stockpile and received a quarter of that request, said Joseph Wendelken, spokesman for the Rhode Island Department of Health. “The response has been extremely inadequate and absolutely unacceptable.. It’s exposing not only cracks, but I would say canyons, in our federal health care system.” New Hampshire Gov. As of Monday, the Strategic National Stockpile had roughly 10.5 million respirator masks, down from 12 million two days earlier, said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which manages it. Jon Husted, a Republican, said it’s important for the federal government to release protective gear to health care workers.

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History of this topic

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say
2 years, 7 months ago

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 cases are increasing in the United States — and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned Wednesday in urging areas hardest hit to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking. “Prior increases of infections, in different waves of infection, have demonstrated that this travels across the country,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC …

CDC reiterates need for masks on planes and trains amid fears of rising Covid cases
2 years, 8 months ago

CDC reiterates need for masks on planes and trains amid fears of rising Covid cases

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy US health officials have …

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday
2 years, 10 months ago

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings. The change comes as nearly all U.S. states that had put in place indoor mask-wearing mandates for the winter …

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US
2 years, 11 months ago

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US

Associated Press  

As the omicron wave of the coronavirus subsides, several U.S. states including Nevada, New York and Illinois ended mask mandates this week for indoor settings, while others lifted requirements at schools. Steve Sisolak said the requirement for masks in public places would be lifted “effective immediately.” State casino regulators quickly followed with an order eliminating the mandate for casinos “unless …

White House to distribute 400 million N95 masks for free, starting next week
2 years, 11 months ago

White House to distribute 400 million N95 masks for free, starting next week

LA Times  

The Biden administration plans to start distributing next week millions of N95 masks, like the one nurse Lindsay Bowker is shown wearing in Kirkland, Wash. The Biden administration plans to distribute 400 million high-quality masks to Americans for free starting next week in the hopes of offering better protection against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the White House announced …

CDC Acknowledges Cloth Masks Are Less Effective Than Others
3 years ago

CDC Acknowledges Cloth Masks Are Less Effective Than Others

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conceded Friday that cloth masks are less effective than surgical or respirator masks as protection against COVID-19. “Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection, well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection, and well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators offer the highest level …

CDC encourages more Americans to consider N95 masks
3 years ago

CDC encourages more Americans to consider N95 masks

LA Times  

Registered nurse Scott McGieson wears an N95 mask as he walks out of a patient’s room in the acute care unit of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Friday. U.S. health officials on Friday encouraged more Americans to wear the kind of N95 or KN95 masks used by healthcare workers to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In updated guidance …

CDC encourages more Americans to consider N95 masks
3 years ago

CDC encourages more Americans to consider N95 masks

Hindustan Times  

US health officials on Friday encouraged more Americans to wear the kind of N95 or KN95 masks used by health-care workers to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In updated guidance posted late Friday afternoon, CDC officials removed concerns related to supply shortages and more clearly said that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection. In its …

Biden says his administration will make free high-quality face masks available to all Americans
3 years ago

Biden says his administration will make free high-quality face masks available to all Americans

CNN  

Washington CNN — President Joe Biden on Thursday announced his administration would make “high-quality masks” available to Americans for free, as the US struggles to contain the new surge of the Omicron variant and hospitalizations from Covid-19 reach new highs. “I know we all wish could finally be done with wearing masks, I get it, but they are a really …

FDA: N95 masks, now plentiful, should no longer be reused
3 years, 8 months ago

FDA: N95 masks, now plentiful, should no longer be reused

Associated Press  

The Biden administration has taken the first step toward ending an emergency exception that allowed hospitals to ration and reuse N95 medical masks, the first line of defense between frontline workers and the deadly coronavirus. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is recommending health care personnel and facilities transition away from crisis capacity conservation strategies,” said the agency in a …

The US has N95 masks available – you just can’t find them
3 years, 10 months ago

The US has N95 masks available – you just can’t find them

CNN  

CNN — Nearly a year ago, Brian Wolin got involved because he wanted to help. A chiropractor for 22 years, Wolin partnered with his brother-in-law to form Protective Health Gear, a New Jersey company set on making N95 masks to help health care workers in the coronavirus pandemic. After months of thorough paperwork and rigorous testing of his N95 mask, …

'Possible' Americans Will be Wearing Masks in 2022 to Protect Against Covid-19, Says Fauci
3 years, 10 months ago

'Possible' Americans Will be Wearing Masks in 2022 to Protect Against Covid-19, Says Fauci

News 18  

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that it’s “possible” Americans will still need to wear masks in 2022 to protect against the coronavirus, even as the US may reach “a significant degree of normality” by the end of this year. Asked by CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” whether he thinks Americans will still need to wear masks next …

Fauci: ‘Possible’ Americans will be wearing masks in 2022 to protect against Covid-19
3 years, 10 months ago

Fauci: ‘Possible’ Americans will be wearing masks in 2022 to protect against Covid-19

CNN  

Washington CNN — Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that it’s “possible” Americans will still need to wear masks in 2022 to protect against the coronavirus, even as the US may reach “a significant degree of normality” by the end of this year. Asked by CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” whether he thinks Americans will still need to …

CDC to require masks on all forms of public transportation
3 years, 11 months ago

CDC to require masks on all forms of public transportation

Live Mint  

US travelers and commuters will be required to wear masks on nearly all forms of public transportation and inside transportation hubs, according to a late Friday emergency order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Requiring masks on our transportation systems will protect Americans and provide confidence that we can once again travel safely even during this pandemic,” according …

Column: Why the U.S. still hasn’t solved its mask and glove shortages
4 years ago

Column: Why the U.S. still hasn’t solved its mask and glove shortages

LA Times  

Frontline medical personnel like these at Loma Linda University Medical Center rely on personal protective equipment while treating COVID-19 patients. In a survey last month, more than half of hospitals’ infection prevention specialists reported that they were wearing their N95 protective masks designed for one-time use five times or more. “The U.S. continues to face shortages of personal protective equipment, …

Scarcity of key material squeezes medical mask manufacturing
4 years, 4 months ago

Scarcity of key material squeezes medical mask manufacturing

Associated Press  

FRESNO, Calif. — Rachel Spray is still grieving the loss of her fellow nurse who died after being exposed to the novel coronavirus at Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center in California. Pressure on the medical supply chain continues today, and in “many ways things have only gotten worse,” the American Medical Association’s president, Dr. Susan Bailey, said in a recent …

NY agency faces questions over PPE readiness for the future
4 years, 5 months ago

NY agency faces questions over PPE readiness for the future

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s health agency is walking back a recent statement by the state’s top health official, who had cast doubt on reports from nurses about dire shortages of protective gear at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in late March and early April. State health commissioner Howard Zucker said this week that he spoke to hospital administrators, …

Bernie Sanders and Andy Slavitt: America’s cost effective Covid-19 solution? Masks for All (opinion)
4 years, 5 months ago

Bernie Sanders and Andy Slavitt: America’s cost effective Covid-19 solution? Masks for All (opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Bernie Sanders is a US senator from Vermont and former Democratic candidate for president. Bernie Sanders PBS Andy Slavitt Courtesy Andy Slavitt That’s why we are urgently calling for a simple, common-sense, practical and inexpensive way to protect Americans during the coronavirus pandemic: Masks for All. As the United States reports a record numbers of new cases, research …

Trump administration’s delayed use of 1950s law leads to critical supplies shortages
4 years, 6 months ago

Trump administration’s delayed use of 1950s law leads to critical supplies shortages

CNN  

Washington CNN — Nearly four months after invoking a 1950s-era law in order to compel businesses to manufacture equipment for the fight against the coronavirus, the Trump administration has made only sparing use of its authorities, leaving front-line workers in dire need of supplies like masks, gowns and gloves amid the recent surge in cases. “I think a much more …

Protective gear for medical workers begins to run low again
4 years, 6 months ago

Protective gear for medical workers begins to run low again

Associated Press  

The personal protective gear that was in dangerously short supply during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis in the U.S. is running low again as the virus resumes its rapid spread and the number of hospitalized patients climbs. “We’re five months into this and there are still shortages of gowns, hair covers, shoe covers, masks, N95 masks,” said Deborah …

Masks, sanitisers out of essentials’ list
4 years, 6 months ago

Masks, sanitisers out of essentials’ list

Hindustan Times  

The Centre has removed masks and sanitisers from the purview of the Essential Commodities Act, citing the absence of reports of shortages of such items from anywhere in the country. The emergence of two- and three-play cloth masks as adequate protection has also played a role in ensuing adequate supply. “There are no adverse reports with respect to price or …

Protective gear for US medical workers runs low as virus resurges
4 years, 6 months ago

Protective gear for US medical workers runs low as virus resurges

Al Jazeera  

Doctors, nurses and some lawmakers say the US could face a crisis in the coming months as professionals reuse equipment. “They’re being doled out, and we’re still being told to reuse them.” When the crisis first exploded in March and April in hot spots such as New York City, the situation was so desperate that nurses turned plastic rubbish bags …

Protective gear for medical workers begins to run low again amid coronavirus surge
4 years, 6 months ago

Protective gear for medical workers begins to run low again amid coronavirus surge

LA Times  

Healthcare workers help each other with their personal protective equipment at a drive-through coronavirus testing site outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sunday. In a letter to Congress last week, the health department in Illinois’ DuPage County, near Chicago, said all hospitals in the county are reusing protective gear “in ways that were not originally intended and …

Democrats say US needs to address protective gear shortage
4 years, 6 months ago

Democrats say US needs to address protective gear shortage

Associated Press  

A congressional committee criticized President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday for a series of problems in distributing personal protective and testing equipment during the coronavirus pandemic and called on the administration to come up with a better plan. “We need urgent action from the federal government now, before this virus spins further out of control,” said Rep. James Clyburn, a …

Nursing homes say feds sent useless protective equipment
4 years, 6 months ago

Nursing homes say feds sent useless protective equipment

Associated Press  

CONCORD, N.H. — Isolation gowns with no arm openings. Such items make up the bulk of the personal protective equipment recently sent by the federal government to New Hampshire nursing homes struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, according to the head of an industry group who called the shipments “profoundly insulting.” “Legitimate personal protective equipment is available out there on the …

States give few details on billions spent on virus supplies
4 years, 7 months ago

States give few details on billions spent on virus supplies

Associated Press  

— States are spending billions of dollars stocking up on medical supplies such as masks and breathing machines during the coronavirus pandemic. Transparency advocates say they’re troubled by the difficulty in getting details about government spending, especially during a crisis that’s shaken the economy and sickened about 1.6 million in the U.S. “There’s no reason that this information should be …

US doctor: I shouldn’t have to buy masks and gloves on the black market (opinion)
4 years, 8 months ago

US doctor: I shouldn’t have to buy masks and gloves on the black market (opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Alexander Salerno is a primary care physician at Salerno Medical Associates, a family practice in New Jersey dedicated to population health, chronic disease management and community health. Because the United States outsources the production of medical supplies and test components to other countries, and those countries have been under lockdown due to the pandemic, we are in the …

Veterans Affairs denies reports of face mask shortages at hospitals
4 years, 9 months ago

Veterans Affairs denies reports of face mask shortages at hospitals

CNN  

CNN — The Department of Veterans Affairs is telling hospitals to decide which staff will receive face masks amid a shortage of personal protective equipment, according to internal memos seen by The Wall Street Journal, the news publication reported on Saturday. But in a statement to CNN, Veterans Affairs spokeswoman Christina Noel pushed back, saying that all VA employees who …

HHS: Federal stocks of protective equipment nearly depleted
4 years, 9 months ago

HHS: Federal stocks of protective equipment nearly depleted

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Strategic National Stockpile is nearly out of the N95 respirators, surgical masks, face shields, gowns and other medical supplies desperately needed to protect front-line medical workers treating coronavirus patients. The Department of Health and Human Services told The Associated Press Wednesday that the federal stockpile was in the process of deploying all remaining personal protective equipment in …

Coronavirus Outbreak: With 90% of federal stockpile used, US runs low on masks, shield, medical equipment; toll rises to 14,795
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus Outbreak: With 90% of federal stockpile used, US runs low on masks, shield, medical equipment; toll rises to 14,795

Firstpost  

The Strategic National Stockpile is nearly out of the N95 respirators, surgical masks, face, shields, gowns and other medical supplies desperately needed to protect front-line medical workers treating coronavirus patients Washington: The Strategic National Stockpile is nearly out of the N95 respirators, surgical masks, face, shields, gowns and other medical supplies desperately needed to protect front-line medical workers treating coronavirus …

Coronavirus: Washington hospitals 'dangerously low' on protective equipment as they enter crucial two weeks
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus: Washington hospitals 'dangerously low' on protective equipment as they enter crucial two weeks

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Hospitals in Washington state …

Face coverings recommended, but Trump says he won’t wear one
4 years, 9 months ago

Face coverings recommended, but Trump says he won’t wear one

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines Friday recommending that Americans wear face coverings when in public to help fight the spread of the new coronavirus. The president immediately said he had no intention of following that advice himself, saying, “I’m choosing not to do it.” The new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages …

US urges masks as dramatic steps to combat virus roll out
4 years, 9 months ago

US urges masks as dramatic steps to combat virus roll out

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The Trump administration urged Americans to cover their faces in public and limited exports of medical supplies Friday as New York’s governor took his own dramatic step to fight the coronavirus — vowing to seize unused ventilators from private hospitals and companies. President Donald Trump announced new guidelines that call for everyone to wear makeshift face coverings …

‘War for masks’ breaks out in Europe, US as coronavirus pandemic spreads
4 years, 9 months ago

‘War for masks’ breaks out in Europe, US as coronavirus pandemic spreads

CNN  

CNN — As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across Europe and the United States, a global scramble for medical equipment such as respirator masks and gloves is underway. In France they are calling it the “guerre des masques” – the war of the masks, and on Friday German officials also made allegations against the United States. “It’s true,” he claimed, “that …

US coronavirus: CDC recommends Americans wear face masks voluntarily in public
4 years, 9 months ago

US coronavirus: CDC recommends Americans wear face masks voluntarily in public

CNN  

CNN — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending people wear face coverings in public and health officials just reported the most deaths in a single day. “I’m not choosing to do it.” But some public health experts at the CDC said they felt “pressured” by the White House to draft recommendations and were under “intense pressure” …

Doctors Say Hospitals Are Stopping Them From Wearing Masks
4 years, 9 months ago

Doctors Say Hospitals Are Stopping Them From Wearing Masks

NPR  

Doctors Say Hospitals Are Stopping Them From Wearing Masks Enlarge this image toggle caption zoranm/Getty Images zoranm/Getty Images Neilly Buckalew is a traveling doctor who fills in at hospitals when there's need. First, Buckalew said she was told it was against hospital policy for health care workers to bring their own gear. Then, she said, administrators told her if she …

Protective equipment companies under fire for '1,000% price increase'
4 years, 9 months ago

Protective equipment companies under fire for '1,000% price increase'

The Telegraph  

Companies have been accused of “daylight robbery” for hiking the price of crucial protective supplies such as face masks and sanitiser gels as high as 1,000%. Leading figures in the care sector have warned they faced ruin due to the spiralling cost of the pandemic, with providers hit by shortages of personal protective equipment. One of the country’s leading social …

Last rounds of protective gear in national stockpile being shipped
4 years, 9 months ago

Last rounds of protective gear in national stockpile being shipped

CNN  

CNN — The Strategic National Stockpile is deploying the last round of shipments in its inventory, depleting the bulk of its protective gear, according to a source familiar with the matter. The official added that the stockpile was never meant to serve as the only source of protective gear for the entire coronavirus response and said the states would need …

White House task force could soon recommend Americans wear masks
4 years, 9 months ago

White House task force could soon recommend Americans wear masks

CNN  

CNN — Most members of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force have come to agree that Americans should begin wearing face coverings in public and could issue formal guidance on the matter soon, people familiar with the matter said. “Now we’ve learned about this disease – and we’ve always said we’re going to learn more, we’re going to adjust – …

First N95 medical mask imports finally reaching US
4 years, 9 months ago

First N95 medical mask imports finally reaching US

Associated Press  

The first N95 medical masks to reach the U.S. since February are arriving by plane and ship this week, with trucks standing ready to speed them to coronavirus hot spots around the country. “We’re still doing everything we can to support safety-net facilities, but we’re also receiving requests for major hospitals in hard-hit areas.” FEMA said in a written statement …

White House task force actively discussing whether public should be wearing masks, Fauci says
4 years, 9 months ago

White House task force actively discussing whether public should be wearing masks, Fauci says

CNN  

Washington CNN — A key member of the White House’s coronavirus task force said Tuesday the idea of recommending broad use of masks in the US to prevent the spread of coronavirus is under “very active discussion” by the group. The CDC group is looking at that very carefully,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told CNN’s …

Relief package billions can’t buy hospitals out of shortages
4 years, 9 months ago

Relief package billions can’t buy hospitals out of shortages

Associated Press  

The billions of tax dollars headed for hospitals and states as part of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus response bill won’t fix the problem facing doctors and nurses: a critical shortage of protective gowns, gloves and masks. “It’s pretty much every state for itself,” said Virginia’s secretary of finance, Aubrey Layne, who is deeply involved with his state’s effort to buy …

‘Chronic’ global shortage of coronavirus protective gear: WHO
4 years, 9 months ago

‘Chronic’ global shortage of coronavirus protective gear: WHO

Al Jazeera  

WHO’s chief says it has shipped almost two million individual items of personal protective equipment to 74 countries. A dire lack of protective gear for health workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most pressing threats in the fight to prevent deaths, the World Health Organization has warned. “The chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment is now …

Doctors fighting coronavirus want governments to reveal how low mask and gown supplies are
4 years, 9 months ago

Doctors fighting coronavirus want governments to reveal how low mask and gown supplies are

ABC  

Australia's top doctors have called on the federal and state governments to be transparent about how low the supplies of personal protective equipment — such as masks, gowns and gloves — actually are. Key points: Paul Torzillo, executive clinical director at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, wants authorities to be upfront about PPE stock levels Melbourne GP Mukesh Haikerwal says …

The US is asking other countries for everything from hand sanitizer to ventilators to help fight the coronavirus
4 years, 9 months ago

The US is asking other countries for everything from hand sanitizer to ventilators to help fight the coronavirus

CNN  

Washington CNN — The Trump administration is appealing to countries around the world to give or sell the US items as basic as hand sanitizer and as complex as respirators to combat the surging coronavirus pandemic. “My job at the White House right now is to help find whatever the American people need and buy it from wherever we can, …

There are no masks left in L.A. County’s emergency stockpile
4 years, 9 months ago

There are no masks left in L.A. County’s emergency stockpile

LA Times  

In an urgent alert issued Wednesday, Los Angeles County officials advised doctors and nurses to reuse face masks and wear gowns and masks that are expired. “We need to collectively prepare for a surge of newly infected patients including those who are critically ill. and to try to avert severe shortages of medical supplies,” said the advisory emailed to all …

Volunteers sew masks for health workers facing shortages
4 years, 9 months ago

Volunteers sew masks for health workers facing shortages

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Bill Purdue waterproofs basements for a living, but he has spent the past few days in his buddy’s Washington, Indiana, auto trim and upholstery shop cutting rectangles of cotton fabric that his friend sews into face masks. Fashion designer Briana Danyele left Italy last month to return to her mother’s Greer, South Carolina, home, where she has turned …

Health Care Workers Struggle With Shortage Of Protective Gear
4 years, 9 months ago

Health Care Workers Struggle With Shortage Of Protective Gear

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Health care workers are making adjustments to conserve a limited supply of protective gear as they treat a growing number of COVID-19 patients. “So why are we allowing this for our front-line pandemic providers?” N95 respirators and other important personal protective equipment known as PPE are crucial to helping health care workers protect against spreading infection and …

FEMA administrator can’t give even rough number of masks going to hospitals as doctors say they don’t have enough supplies
4 years, 9 months ago

FEMA administrator can’t give even rough number of masks going to hospitals as doctors say they don’t have enough supplies

CNN  

Washington CNN — The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency could not say in an interview Sunday how many medical masks the federal government has acquired to send to hospitals in dire need of them as supplies dwindle amid the coronavirus pandemic. “How many masks does federal government have right now and when can they get to local hospitals?” …

Imports of medical supplies plummet as demand in US soars
4 years, 9 months ago

Imports of medical supplies plummet as demand in US soars

Associated Press  

The critical shortage of medical supplies across the U.S., including testing swabs, protective masks, surgical gowns and hand sanitizer, can be tied to a sudden drop in imports, mostly from China, The Associated Press has found. Some emergency rooms, hospitals and clinics in the U.S. have now run out of key medical supplies, while others are rationing personal protective equipment …

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