‘Severe Disruption’: Global Shortage of Anti-Virus Masks, Says WHO

Epoch Times ^ | 02/07/2020 | Jack Phillips

[SeekAndFind]

Due to severe demand amid the coronavirus outbreak in China, the world is now facing a “severe disruption” of medical masks and other protective equipment, according to the World Health Organization.

The current supply chain of medical masks, respirators, and other related equipment is facing a four-to-six-month backlog, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday.

“The world is facing a chronic shortage of personal protective equipment,” he remarked before adding that the demand for masks is about 200 times higher, tantamount to a “severe disruption” of the market.

The health official added that he would be speaking to members of the supply chain network to produce more masks and deal with “bottlenecks” on production.

Cooperation between countries and the public and private sectors is necessary “to ensure that we do not see a future in which health workers are forced to take care of patients without protective equipment. That is not something any of us wish to witness,” Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, said at the press conference.

"“It’s really important that we prioritize the use of these materials for the people who need them most. And these are the healthcare workers who are treating patients,

[SeekAndFind]

IN BEFORE SOMEONE POSTS THE OBLIGATORY PICTURE OF THE ROCK GROUP. :)

[BobL]

I agree...the time for humor regarding the PATHETIC WHO is over...we now need to learn how to ignore them and fend for ourselves.

[P.O.E.]

I always like their song "Coming to Dinner"

[EinNYC]

One thing I clearly see is that U.S. hospitals and doctors’ offices will have to lock their supplies of masks up with maximum security, or any Chinese/Asian personnel will look to “relieve” them of boxes of masks and make themselves a killing shipping them to China.

[Fury]

Re: 4 - An ignorant and racist comment.

[Vaquero]

[BobL]

I saw them once!

[kaehurowing]

Masks here have been unavailable for a couple of weeks already. Plus, as soon as it became known about the disease, Chinese speculators tried to buy up as much of the world supply as they could, for example there was a run on Amazon. Plus, most of the masks are made where? China.

[Redwood71]

The dreaded coronavirus in China has many reaching for face masks across the globe. But while mandatory in Wuhan, China, where the virus originated, a face mask is of little use, practically speaking, According to Medicinenet, a part of WEBMD:

“”A surgical mask might provide some protection, but it’s going to be very modest,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.”

No definitive studies exist that prove masks prevent infections. Also, masks are designed for different purposes, and only some guard against infectious diseases and they have leak and coverage problems depending upon what the need is and what the mask is facing.

The only thing that can actually repel the virus, is a self contained breathing apparatus or SCBA, that is used as the theory in Hazmet scenarios. But you will be very uncomfortable walking around in a sealed suit for the time you are in contact with the outside world and away from your cleanroom.

You can find this same information on the material data safety sheet (MSDS) for the products and the different companies that make them.

rwood

[Cold Heart]

I have some 3M N95 masks I use for sanding fiberglass and other particles. The masks have a discharge valve that makes it easier to breath while working strenuously. Exhaled air is not filtered, so they are useless if the person using it has a disease they are trying to stop the spread of.

[NELSON111]

Good thing my family bought a LOT of masks as soon as I thought this may be a threat - back on 22 January. Of course - I also just happened to watch the "Event 201" pandemic exercise series put on by the Gates Foundation - saw that the WHO/UN's plan was to lock down supplies as soon as a global threat was realized - so they could send the supplies away from "have" countries to "have-not" countries - you know - to be "fair" - and said "uh - not happening to THIS family"

So - we bought them accordingly.

[EinNYC]

Re: 4 - An ignorant and racist comment.

What ethnic group has been caught stealing hundreds of millions of dollars of American intellectual property and physical property?

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/5/taking-on-chinas-intellectual-property-theft

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-unreal-scope-of-chinas-intellectual-property-theft/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/health/china-nih-scientists.htm

Nigerians? Finns? Belgians? There is a well-documented reality that the loyalty of a lot of the Chinese in this country is to CHINA, not the U.S. China has an acute need for medical masks and there aren't enough. That creates the opportunity to make a killing in the medical mask department, and here are rooms and rooms of medical masks the evil Americans have just laying around. They've been caught smuggling all kinds of things--drugs, live exotic animals, etc.--why not medical masks?

[MattMusson]

I finally got a Surgical Mask - it’s stamped MADE IN CHINA!

[MattMusson]

And, DON’T POP BUBBLE WRAP! IT’S CHINESE AIR.

[Jane Long]

LOL!

You sure about that?

[Jane Long]

Not to worry! Only two people coughed on it, while it was being packaged. 😱

(KIDDING!!)

[kaehurowing]

We have some masks because we travel to Asia, and we have some of the real old fashioned ones from Vietnam which are made of cloth and can be washed (but I doubt give you any real protection).

[blam]

"One thing I clearly see is that U.S. hospitals and doctors’ offices will have to lock their supplies of masks up with maximum security, or any Chinese/Asian personnel will look to “relieve” them of boxes of masks and make themselves a killing shipping them to China."

The UK passed a law to limit the amount of baby formula that could be purchased because the Chinese were buying every ounce available and shipping it to China. Uk citizens could not find any to buy.

Chinese Milk Scandal

I like the Chinese and probably would have done the same.
(We have to many unassimilated people in this country.)

[Redwood71]

The N95, to my knowledge and that of the different organizations out there that grade them, is fine for almost all particle traps. But there is nothing that can stop a virus other than a sealed atmosphere. So if you are directly in the line of fire from a cough or sneeze from an infected person, and the actual virus is passed and not clinging to a particle, no standard mask will help it. If you breath it in, it can almost certainly be passed.

That’s why a sealed scba is the only real secure protection as long as you be careful with the suit and the mask when donning or removing either of them.

But this action may or may not be a real problem. As we have had so few cases, thus consistent information concerning the passing of this SARS, and China is clamming up on a lot of information about the cases they have treated, formulating the ability of the bug to be in the open air to be passed is not attainable yet. So it’s still a crap shoot in that direction.

rwood

[DouglasKC]

I went looking for some N95 maks for a pool repainting/pressure washing. VERY hard to find. Found the last two at a Walmart an hour east of where I live. If you don’t have one you probably aren’t going to get one or are going to paying premium prices.