U.S. Hospital Workers Are Making Masks, Protective Gear From Office Supplies Amid Equipment Shortage

[90DayFinancier 910]

 

BY BEN ELGIN AND JOHN TOZZI / BLOOMBERG

MARCH 18, 2020 10:29 AM EDT

Hospital workers in Washington state have been making protective medical gear out of office supplies and other run-of-the-mill materials as they deal with a severe shortage of equipment needed to care for patients who may have COVID-19.

Among the supplies coming in handy: clear vinyl sheets.

“We are very close to being out of face shields,” said Becca Bartles, executive director of infection prevention at Providence St. Joseph Health, a 51-hospital system. “Masks, we’re probably a couple of days away” from running out, she said

https://time.com/5805557/homemade-medical-face-mask-shortage/

[Neonred 3,575]

Talked with my son last night.  He is a PA at OHSU in Portland.  He says personal protective gear is running out.  His wife is an ER nurse at Providence in Portland.  She had to wear the same protective gear through her entire shift, which is NOT normally done, because they are running out too.  

[Steeleballz 7,550]

12 minutes ago, Neonred said:

Talked with my son last night.  He is a PA at OHSU in Portland.  He says personal protective gear is running out.  His wife is an ER nurse at Providence in Portland.  She had to wear the same protective gear through her entire shift, which is NOT normally done, because they are running out too.  

 

    We have been doing that too. Besides reusing PPE, it also makes it so that for people in isolation, only one specific nurse is allowed to go in the room all shift. So normally for a blood gas, the respiratory tech will go in, for lab work the lab will draw blood etc. Since we don't have enough PPE to do that,  it all has to wait until the nurse can go in, and they try to do everything at one time. 

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,376]

1 hour ago, Steeleballz said:

 

    We have been doing that too. Besides reusing PPE, it also makes it so that for people in isolation, only one specific nurse is allowed to go in the room all shift. So normally for a blood gas, the respiratory tech will go in, for lab work the lab will draw blood etc. Since we don't have enough PPE to do that,  it all has to wait until the nurse can go in, and they try to do everything at one time. 

Egads. I want the Phlebotomist to draw my blood. The RN will make a pin cushion out of you hunting a vain  

[Rosalind F 178]

2 hours ago, Neonred said:

Talked with my son last night.  He is a PA at OHSU in Portland.  He says personal protective gear is running out.  His wife is an ER nurse at Providence in Portland.  She had to wear the same protective gear through her entire shift, which is NOT normally done, because they are running out too.  

We were told to re-use our N-95s for seven days to work with our research mice, which is also not how it is supposed to be. At least we are wearing respirators to protect mice from us, not us from mice. It's rough for people who have to work with people. 

[TBoneTX 45,486]

8 hours ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

I want the Phlebotomist to draw my blood.

I prefer a vampire.  Or a good artist who can draw my blood exceptionally well*.

     *pun worth Many,000,000 reputation points

8 hours ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

The RN will make a pin cushion out of you hunting a vain

In other words, the vein effort is a vain effort?*

     *pun worth Many,000,000 reputation points

Edited March 20, 2020 by TBoneTX

[TBoneTX 45,486]

7 hours ago, Rosalind F said:

our research mice

What are your mice researching, huh ma'am?  I'm guessing, uh, Murine eyedrops.*

     *pun worth Many,000,000 reputation points

7 hours ago, Rosalind F said:

It's rough for people who have to work with people. 

Especially those who hate People, Animals, and Things.

If they'd only drop the sandpaper, it wouldn't be so rough.*

     *pun worth Many,000,000 reputation points

Edited March 20, 2020 by TBoneTX

[TBoneTX 45,486]

7 hours ago, Rosalind F said:

our research mice

Reminds us of this Results section in a journal paper:

"One third of the mice lived, one third died, and the last one got away in the laboratory and was lost to follow-up."

[90DayFinancier 910]

Providence asks public for help making millions of masks for Washington hospitals

 

The bid to ramp up production of protective masks ramps up worldwide. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

As Western Washington’s hospitals gear up for the growing need for medical supplies and safety equipment, Providence is looking to volunteers to help provide its hospitals with millions of medical masks for workers on the front line of the coronavirus outbreak.

Fred Hutch scientist: Coronavirus response ‘Apollo program of our time’

It’s called “The 100 Million Mask Challenge,” calling on volunteers with sewing machines at home for help.

https://mynorthwest.com/1776985/providence-100-million-masks-challenge-washington/

 

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,376]

On 3/19/2020 at 11:45 PM, TBoneTX said:

I prefer a vampire.  Or a good artist who can draw my blood exceptionally well*.

     *pun worth Many,000,000 reputation points

In other words, the vein effort is a vain effort?*

     *pun worth Many,000,000 reputation points

you are truly a visionary. You guessed how many rep points whatever that was would get 

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,376]

On 3/19/2020 at 4:30 PM, Rosalind F said:

We were told to re-use our N-95s for seven days to work with our research mice, which is also not how it is supposed to be. At least we are wearing respirators to protect mice from us, not us from mice. It's rough for people who have to work with people. 

Just discovered I had a box of N-95s in the garage. I suggested we take them to the local hospital. My Pinay wife had a stroke at the idea. Those of you married to one will understand

[90DayFinancier 910]

20 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

Just discovered I had a box of N-95s in the garage. I suggested we take them to the local hospital. My Pinay wife had a stroke at the idea. Those of you married to one will understand

 

I can be hard for folks to get the bigger picture.  If that mask keeps one more healthcare provider healthy, that might be the one who saves ones mother. We cannot repeat Italy.

 

Doctors and Nurses are today's Frontline.

 

A local furniture mfg. Is retooling to make PPE. I love the agility.  

[TBoneTX 45,486]

8 hours ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

Those of you married to one will understand

How about explaining to those of us NOT married to one?