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.
Get Us PPE’s Executive Director, Shikha Gupta, M.D. was named in the 2021 TIME list of 100 individuals who are shaping the future of their fields and defining the next generation of leadership.
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 continues to push for the production of personal protective equipment, noting that PPE will be necessary throughout the vaccination process, especially as COVID-19 variants are detected in at least 12 states.
Get Us PPE joins the vaccine conversation by advocating for equitable vaccine distribution, adding that access needs to be open to all Americans for a successful vaccine campaign.