I have a close family member working in a very large W. Coast hospital.

[dixiegrrrrl]

He has daily access to management meetings.

As of today, patient care staff have been told:

"The current COVID 19 outbreak has placed a significant strain on the availability of PPE products globally. As a result, demand has increased significantly and

suppliers have placed restrictions on ordering these products, thereby limiting the quantity that healthcare providers are able to purchase.

In order to preserve the supply available, conservation measures have been implemented."

*****************

One of the conservation measures is to limit each patient room to just 2 staff wearing the masks.
It's also been pointed out that most beard/mustache wearers cannot get a tight enough fit to the masks.

I imagine things are same for other hospitals.

[SunSeeker]

1. Horrible. Things are going to get so much worse.

[procon]

2. Shortages won't be limited to hospital supplies.

Go browse through your pantry to see that most of out consumer goods is made overseas. Shipping will dwindle if workers get sick and there's no one to load the cargo or man the ships. China being a major supplier for everything form baby formula, pet food and prescription meds, is already experiencing a manufacturing slowdown.

This whole thing feels like it's about to snowball and get very bad, very fast without any competent leadership coming from the US.

[roamer65]

3. All non-emergency passenger air travel needs to be shut down...worldwide.

That is how this virus is spreading.

It’s draconian, but it will save lives.

[OhioChick]

6. This n/t

[llmart]

19. That's never going to happen.

The airlines could give a crap about public safety. And by the way, has anyone read anything about what precautions the airlines are taking here in the US?

[shanti]

4. Re the beards

CDC has put out a chart showing a shit ton of different beard styles, and whether or not they are appropriate for the masks. A "round beard", mustache and attached goatee, wouldn't qualify. Looks like a lot of guys will need to shave.

[Skittles]

5. fyi PPE is Personal Protective Equipment

for those who are wondering

[lpbk2713]

7. Thanks.

I was curious but too lazy to Google it.

[Skittles]

8. it's easy to do when you work with acronyms

slip them in without explanation.....I have done it myself

[Recursion]

9. The masks don't keep non-sick people from getting the virus

The masks help sick people from spreading it. Goggles help non-sick people from getting the virus. It's not airborne.

[Bayard]

10. Goggles?

[Recursion]

11. Goggles, same as the common cold. Someone sneezes on your hand and you wipe your eye

That's why a handshake is better at spreading most viruses than a kiss is.

[Bayard]

12. Sounds plausible

But I'm afraid if someone walked into a bank wearing a surgical mask and goggles, security would be called right quick!

[pnwmom]

13. They can reduce but not eliminate the risk. But they have to be used correctly

and people need to wash their hands well and frequently, and keep their hands away from their faces.

[Chainfire]

15. Then why?

Then why do well health care workers wear masks? Are they intending to rob the victims?

[jmbar2]

14. I was at dental college clinic today

Overheard the residents quietly worrying about COVID hitting the homeless community. They worried that they'd overwhelm the medical facilities, and be nearly impossible to quarantine.

I stocked up on more toilet paper and coffee supplies on the way home...

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. I'm now living in a very rural area "far from the madding crowd"

But was working and living in SF for several years before retiring to her.

and what worries me is that areas of SF the gutters are open sewers from so many homeless people,
esp. the drug users.
Seattle is now like that in places.
Washing your hands often isn't possible, I am seriously surprised there hasn't been typhus or something.

[Fix The Stupid]

16. * I am in this business *

It's all true. I will not reveal any names or corporations, but the message went out over a month ago.

All open orders for N95 masks (Mulitiple manufacturers - again won't name them - HUGE multinational orgs) were cancelled. We were told to not even attempt to order these again this year. They are stockpiling them and only issuing to "core", ie Military, customers.

We kind of laughed at first - having gone thru this hysteria with the SARS thing years ago, we kind of expected this, but this is different this time.

Again, all I can say. We were smart enough to stockpile them this year before the prohibitions started.

Overreaction? Maybe, but I think the SARS thing scared these companies and they are making sure they can service their core customers - at least for a little while...

[bern2020]

18. priority goes to

government and healthcare workers