“Global stocks of masks and respirators are now insufficient,” according to the World Health Organization.
Hundreds of people wait in line to buy surgical masks at a Bonjour Cosmetics store in Hong Kong.Demand for surgical masks and protective equipment has spiked so quickly that the World Health Organization announced Friday it now faces difficulties equipping frontline healthcare workers in China, where the coronavirus epidemic continues to grow and more than 31,000 people have been infected.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the supply chain has been “exacerbated by widespread, inappropriate use” of the protective gear, such as stockpiling or using outside of caring for patients, resulting in “depleted stockpiles and backlogs of 4 to 6 months.”Frontline healthcare workers in China are most in need of the equipment, said Tedros, and WHO is focusing first freeing up supplies of surgical masks for its workers due to “extreme demand and market pressures.
In order to properly equip their workers, WHO estimates 7 to 10% of the total market capacity is needed.
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