November 6, 2020 – A surge of Covid-19 cases and stockpiling of N95 masks in much of the country have put fresh strains on the supply of critical protective gear, the New York Times reports. While the national supply of protective equipment has improved since the first months of the pandemic, levels at some healthcare facilities remain well below what regulators recommend.
Many healthcare facilities continue to ration and reuse masks, even as manufacturers have raised production, and some state health departments said they expect supplies to tighten further.
States have been trying to build up supplies of N95 masks, which guard wearers from tiny particles including the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, and other gear like gloves since the start of the pandemic. A few have mandated that hospitals do the same. But the stockpiling efforts are being slowed by the increase in Covid-19 cases.
In Michigan, for example, nearly two-thirds of health systems are reporting less than a three-week supply for one or more types of protective gear. The state’s health department recommends a 90-day supply.
MidMichigan Health has enough N95s for a few weeks, and many of them are stored in a vacant Sears store, said Jeff Wagner, supply chain manager for the network of seven major health-care facilities in central and northern Michigan.
“We would really like to beef up our stockpiles, but volume is high for everyone, so you can’t,” Mr. Wagner said.