PPE Shortage

About PPE Shortage

The global PPE shortage during the early COVID pandemic was one of the most damaging failures of pandemic preparedness. As COVID spread in early 2020, demand for N95 respirators, surgical masks, gowns, gloves, and face shields skyrocketed. China, the largest producer, restricted exports. In March 2020 the WHO reported that surgical mask prices had increased sixfold and N95 respirator prices had tripled. Hospitals rationed PPE, forcing healthcare workers to reuse single use items. US officials reported that the Strategic National Stockpile held about 12 million N95 masks, against an estimated need of 3.5 billion masks in a severe pandemic. In April 2020 CDC recommended cloth face coverings for the public, partly to preserve medical grade PPE for healthcare workers. The WHO estimated a monthly need of 89 million medical masks and 76 million gloves globally. Competition among countries and states drove further shortages. The PPE shortage exposed the fragility of global supply chains and the dangers of over reliance on single source manufacturing. Post pandemic, many countries committed to domestic PPE manufacturing capacity.