US Mask Shortage 'Severe'... "US Medical Staff Making Masks Themselves Using Plastic, etc."

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The mask shortage crisis in the United States is severe. Doctors are making masks themselves due to the lack of masks for hospital use, and they are requesting support from companies. Some hospitals are even considering closing down because they cannot secure the necessary equipment to protect medical staff.

On the 19th (local time), although the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading in the United States, medical staff are working without even the minimum safety gear.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The American daily newspaper The New York Times (NYT) reported an article titled "A war fought without bullets, doctors say the shortage of protective equipment is desperate." According to this article, hospital medical staff are considering closing hospitals due to the inability to secure health masks. In places like Los Angeles, expired masks have been provided to medical staff, who are wearing them using rubber bands, etc.

According to another foreign media report, in Seattle, USA, medical staff are making masks themselves using plastic and other materials. Medical workers in this area decided through meetings to make masks for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers to respond to the mask shortage crisis.

A healthcare worker said, "The protective equipment we have will be completely used up within a few days," adding, "We expect the necessary supplies to arrive soon, but until then, we will have to respond improvisationally somehow."

Medical staff are expressing extreme anxiety. They fear that they might become new infection sources by getting infected themselves during patient treatment. One medical worker said, "There is no way to protect ourselves," and added, "It is a situation where neither medical staff nor patients can be protected."

U.S. President Donald Trump said during a briefing on COVID-19 that "millions of masks are being produced," and that "distributing these supplies is the responsibility of local governments or governors."

When some reporters asked why supplies are not being delivered to hospitals, he referred to the "(medical) system as outdated."

Vice President Mike Pence stated, "We are increasing the production of medical masks," and "We are prioritizing this and demanding it across the industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.