The coronavirus pandemic might put a large strain on medical supplies needed by healthcare workers on the front lines, reports CBS News.
“Right now, large companies are making most of these supplies and there’s demand from across the globe,” Dr. David Agus, a medical doctor and professor of medicine at the University of Southern California, told CBS News on Tuesday. “When you don’t put your orders in, other countries, other places are getting their orders filled and we’re behind here.
“With small numbers of suppliers, single suppliers in many cases, it’s just not possible to fill those demands. We’re literally on the front lines without supplies.”
U.S. officials in late February warned of a potential shortage of personal protective equipment, including respiratory masks and ventilators.
“We need to support the acquisition of personal protective equipment, especially masks, into the strategic national stockpile,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar told the Senate Appropriations Committee at the time. He was seeking $2.5 billion to slow the spread of COVID-19 to the U.S.
Some of the chemical ingredients used in coronavirus tests are in short supply, per CBS, and the American Red Cross on Tuesday announced a severe blood shortage.
Amazon on Tuesday moved to prioritize shipments of medical supplies, household staples and other high-demand products in the wake of surging demand due to the pandemic.
“We are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so we can more quickly receive, restock, and ship these products to customers,” a spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal.
Agus said there needs to be a hierarchy for protective equipment.
“Somebody needs to be in charge to make sure there is a hierarchy goes to the people who need it the most,” he said. “Healthcare professionals on the front line not having masks or protective gear is just not appropriate, and now we’re seeing them dropping like flies.”
via newsmax
