The United Arab Emirates and Get Us PPE successfully delivered over 275,000 pieces of PPE to over 100 facilities across the United States. It was a donation that took months of coordination at the highest levels. However, at the core of this donation was a simple gesture of goodwill, a team of dedicated volunteers, and a resilient spirit.
N95 masks continue to be in short supply for hospitals and other healthcare professionals despite an excess supply. Meanwhile, PPE sold on WhatsApp, a popular messaging app, has allowed sellers to gouge prices despite a federal crackdown on the practice.
COVID-19 infections spent weeks in decline before slowly plateauing in early March. Weeks later, the numbers are up–this time fueled by spring breakers and states prematurely lifting COVID-19 restrictions, like mask mandates.
An error in the supply chain is to blame for healthcare workers’ continued practice of resuing N95 masks.
Two governors announced their states would be lifting their respective mask mandates. Meanwhile, in the United States, healthcare workers continue to ration personal protective equipment (PPE), revealing an ongoing healthcare crisis caused by issues in the supply chain.
Millions of N95 masks were exported earlier this year, while American healthcare workers risk their lives every day by reusing PPE, exposing issues in the PPE Supply Chain.
The Biden Administration has pledged to reopen schools to in-person instruction within its first 100 days. However, reopening schools comes with its own set of complications as schools lack the adequate PPE to reopen safely.
PPE supply chains begin to ease as COVID-19 cases decline; however, virus variants and inequitable access to PPE and vaccines continue to threaten a full recovery.
Get Us PPE data used in President Biden’s COVID plan shows urgent PPE needs, and is yet another indicator that the PPE crisis is not over.
Read more about Get Us PPE’s algorithm to equitably prioritize PPE distribution and co-founder Dr. Ranney’s ideas for more equitable COVID vaccine delivery.