December 1, 2020
While the shortage of PPE was a focal point of concerns at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, the need for a reliable, adequate, and purpose-appropriate supply of protective equipment (masks, face shields, gowns, gloves, air-purifying respirators) is a continuing concern.
Not every hospital is so fortunate, and not every provider has access to the PPE needed to stay safe.
Get Us PPE is a coalition of physicians, scientists, engineers, technologists, and concerned citizens building the nation’s largest platform for grassroots PPE donations.
From their website: Get Us PPE is a grassroots movement founded by emergency physicians on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has grown into the largest nonprofit in the country getting personal protective equipment to those who need it most.
With over 16,000 registered requests for personal protective equipment, Get Us PPE has amassed the largest non-governmental database of PPE shortages in the United States.
From their website:
What You Can Do:
- Ensure that your hospital has contacted your state health departments or emergency management agencies to know of your PPE needs. The Strategic National Stockpile is now distributing PPE to the states.
- Send your members of Congress an email urging them to ensure PPE is prioritized for frontline personnel.
- Share your state and federal advocacy efforts on social media with the hashtag #FreeThePPE and encourage others to also contact their representatives.
CBS posted Supplies of N95 masks running low as COVID-19 surges, which includes this excerpt:
Some health care facilities in the U.S. lack sufficient supplies of face masks as COVID-19 cases surge across the country and manufacturers work overtime to ramp up production of personal protective equipment.
The U.S. on Wednesday set a new high for daily coronavirus cases, with more than 100,000 new infections and at least 16 states also breaking records for the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Thursday saw more than 120,000 cases, a 20% spike in just one day.
Makers of so-called N95 masks — regarded as the most effective tool for protection against airborne droplets — are struggling to keep up with demand from hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities, as well as businesses in other sectors that now require them to protect workers and the public.