PPE shortage in US again as cases rise

New Delhi: Healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States have once again started facing shortages of masks, gowns, face shields and gloves as the infection spread and the number of patients getting hospitalised continues to climb.

According to The Washington Post, the mess of equipment shortages has come at a time when other issues have plagued the country's early response to the pandemic return, including surging cases, overwhelmed hospitals, lagging in testing and contradictory public health messages. But the inability to secure PPEs is especially frustrating, healthcare workers say, as it acts as their main defence against warding off the coronavirus.

Nurses say they are reusing N95 masks for days and even weeks at a time. Doctors say they cannot reopen offices because they lack personal protective equipment. State officials say they have scoured US and international suppliers for PPE and struggle to get orders filled. Experts worry the problem could worsen as coronavirus infections climb, straining medical systems.

"A lot of people thought once the alarm was sounded back in March, surely the federal government would fix this, but that has not happened," said Deborah Burger, a California nurse and president of National Nurses United, a union representing registered nurses.

Like many healthcare workers, Burger also blamed the Trump administration for the lack of equipment, noting the administration has insisted the responsibility falls to state and local officials, with the federal government playing only a supporting role.