RE: Has anyone asked the taskforce when the US will have enough N95 masks for not only professional healthcare workers, but people like me with high risk family members?
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I’m a caregiver for a 95 yo mom(with high BP) so i’m irritated that theres no recent info on the N95 production. I suspect that our gov is hording them all to build up a strategic reserve. HHS said they need 300 mil but 3M capability is 25-35 mil/month. Honeywell may also be manufacturer but i haven’t seen info of their capacity. Here’s what I’ve seen but its back around Mar 1 ...
https://globalbiodefense.com/headlines/u-s-to-ramp-up-mask-production-but-china-is-bottleneck-for-raw-materials/
haven’t heard anything about Defense Production Act being invoked but not sure thats required?
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/28/us-mulls-using-sweeping-powers-to-ramp-up-production-of-coronavirus-protective-gear.html
I guess the same sort of question holds for hand sanitizer. My wife scored on “limit of 4” 16 oz(?) bottles of hand sanitizer @ Aldi yesterday. Out today, she says.
An old friend (sort of a “flu sis”?) called earlier too, a little freaked out. Her Wal-Mart in Paducah, KY(!) was totally out of toilet paper. I was a bit surprised, but then, I noticed that our Charmin “Extra Strong” is “Made In USA of domestic and imported materials”. I imagine the cheap stuff is more so. Holey S-—. So to speak.
I told her in a month or two we might have some spare hickory tree leaves.