Protective gear for US medical workers begins to run low again

[struggle4progress]

Geoff Mulvihill and Camille Fassett, Associated Press | Posted - Jul. 7, 2020 at 12:20 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) — 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.

A national nursing union is concerned that gear has to be reused. A doctors association warns that physicians’ offices are closed because they cannot get masks and other supplies. And Democratic members of Congress are pushing the Trump administration to devise a national strategy to acquire and distribute gear in anticipation of the crisis worsening into the fall.

“We’re five months into this and there are still shortages of gowns, hair covers, shoe covers, masks, N95 masks,” said Deborah Burger, president of National Nurses United, who cited results from a survey of the union’s members. “They’re being doled out, and we’re still being told to reuse them” ...

https://www.ksl.com/article/46774070/protective-gear-for-us-medical-workers-begins-to-run-low-again

[rusty quoin]

1. The United States of America ended when Trump was elected.

[OhioChick]

2. Nothing New Here.....

There was a shortage to begin with and doctors/nurses have been re-using masks, gowns, etc. since the beginning.

This only makes it worse since masks begin to breakdown over time. Our healthcare workers will begin to get sick and drop dead soon.

[uponit7771]

3. K&R, cause the whole administration are a bunch of liars!! The silent ones too

[soothsayer]

4. Yeah we only focused on ventilators, seems like

Well, and stealing ppe from states who bought themselves

That dude who testified before Congress—wasn’t he a mask maker? Said he could ramp up but only if he had a long-term contract from the government, as he needs to invest and hire to do so and doesn’t want to screw his workers.

Guess we never tapped him.

Maybe that coalition of governors who pool their buying power should revisit?