Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Shortages Of Masks And Other PPE Are Back
NPR: Yep, Masks And Protective Gear Are Still Hard To Get — Especially For Small Buyers
Just like in March, when coronavirus cases spiked for the first time, some workers and employers across the country continue to face PPE shortages. Masks, gloves, gowns, thermometers and other equipment are scarce. Demand has remained high, and prices have, too. Now it's not just hospitals, states and federal officials vying for the same PPE. Smaller operations without a lot of buying power — from cash-strapped school districts to independent medical practices — are entering the market. (Rose, 8/19)
Kaiser Health News: As Georgia Reopened, Officials Knew Of Severe Shortage Of PPE For Health Workers
As the coronavirus crisis deepened in April, Georgia officials circulated documents showing that to get through the next month, the state would need millions more masks, gowns and other supplies than it had on hand. The projections, obtained by KHN and other organizations in response to public records requests, provide one of the clearest pictures of the severe PPE deficits states confronted while thousands fell ill from rising COVID-19 cases, putting health workers at risk. (Pradhan and Knight, 8/19)
In related news about masks and face coverings —
CNN: MIT Researchers Created A Reusable Face Mask That Works Like An N95 Respirator
Nurses and doctors have gone to creative extremes to reuse the same masks, gloves and scrubs they need to treat contagious coronavirus patients. But if a prototype mask created by researchers proves widely effective, it may be a safer alternative for health care workers. (Andrew, 8/19)
Los Angeles Times: How Many People Really Wear Masks? We Counted. It Wasn’t Pretty
We visited a trendy Venice shopping district, Main Street in Huntington Beach, and a leafy public park in north Long Beach. We monitored each location six times between July 23 and July 28, tracking a total of 3,026 passersby in two-hour shifts. While our results are limited to a small selection of locations in the populous and diverse region of Southern California, it is modeled on studies conducted by academics to offer a more scientific answer to the question of how residents are responding to the pandemic. Here's what we found. (Miller, 8/19)
The Guardian: Masks Blunt The Spread Of Coronavirus – But Not All Are Created Equal
So which masks are most effective at preventing the spread of droplets? It’s hard to precisely know right now. But [Martin] Fischer, of the Duke study, suggested this general rule: “If you have two masks and one of them is really easy to see through and easy to breathe through and another one [is] not, it’s probably a good bet that the thicker one will perform better.” (Renwick, 8/19)
AP: Montana Assisted Living Facility Told To Enforce Mask Rules
An assisted living facility in Montana has been ordered to comply with state and local requirements for employees to wear masks while at work to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Missoula City-County Health Department issued the order Friday to Ty Harding, owner of the Beehive Homes franchise in Missoula. (8/18)
