What's new
What's new

OT- N95 Face Masks, PPE for Nurses, Doctors, ...

rpseguin

Stainless
Joined
Jun 28, 2006
Location
Napa, CA
Please delete thread if not allowed.

I see lots people walking around with N95 face masks on.
Meanwhile my wife is a nurse and she and none of the doctors and nurses in her facility can get masks!
It’s insane!
If the medical professionals who are caring for people get infected, they will unintentionally infect others. Then, when the doctors and nurses get sick, they will no longer be able to care for others and protect all of us!

Unfortunately, the hoarders have taken all of the N95 masks and PPE (personal protective equipment) and despite Trump’s self-aggrandizing congratulations, his claims are false disinformation that will cost American lives; nurses, doctors, CNAs and first responders cannot get the masks and PPE that they need to stay safe. My wife is a nurse and I _KNOW_ firsthand that they cannot get the masks. I am scared for her safety and the safety of our kids and family, her patients and their families and friends.

So when nurses and doctors get infected as a result of lack of masks and PPE, more people will get infected. And when nurses and doctors fall ill, they won’t be there to care for the sick and protect the rest of us.

If you have N95 masks, PLEASE get them to the people that need them or get them to me and I will get them to the people that need them!
I wish selfish people would stop hoarding and be considerate of others.
 
...If you have N95 masks, PLEASE get them to the people that need them or get them to me and I will get them to the people that need them!
I wish selfish people would stop hoarding and be considerate of others.
^^^ YES. This times ten.

Even if they aren't N95's offer them anyway. I'm taking all my filter masks, my half-face respirator, and all the spare filters to my local hospital today.
 
Respirators are available.... I contacted a company that has 3 million in stock.... Hoarding is a problem, misinformation and mismanagement is another and hysteria further compounds the problem. And, if I were you, I'd be pissed too, my response is simply stating that respirators are available why your wife and those that need them can't get them is the $64,000.00 question.
 
Respirators are available.... I contacted a company that has 3 million in stock.... Hoarding is a problem, misinformation and mismanagement is another and hysteria further compounds the problem. And, if I were you, I'd be pissed too, my response is simply stating that respirators are available why your wife and those that need them can't get them is the $64,000.00 question.

I messaged you.
That really is the question.
It’s not just her facility (post-op care and recuperation); many other doctors, nurses, CNAs can’t get them.
Trump’s boast 500 million masks is proving to be false.
 
I messaged you.
That really is the question.
It’s not just her facility (post-op care and recuperation); many other doctors, nurses, CNAs can’t get them.
Trump’s boast 500 million masks is proving to be false.


I answered you. I literally just received an email advising that they have 3 million in stock with the ability to produce more so I am not so quick to criticize the president.
 
Let's play to our better angels. A crisis (of whatever scale) creates logistics problems. The members of this forum are probably some of the most well-rooted practical people in society.

RPS has highlighted a shortage of masks. My wife works at a major medical institution. Same issues reported. jbacc thinks he has a line on a supply of masks. Great! They should be communicating directly to see if logistically the need can be connected with the supply.

Let's use our talents for good...
 
Your post makes me feel less, not more, sympathy for nurses for the fact that your post is really a poorly veiled attempt at criticizing the President.

As an adult - a fully grown adult with both testicles descended - I understand that "The President" can't make every problem go away with a sweep of his hand. I don't expect him to fix every crisis overnight. I don't even expect him to cut my steak into little squares for me. I gave up all that upon reaching adulthood.
 
Your post makes me feel less, not more, sympathy for nurses for the fact that your post is really a poorly veiled attempt at criticizing the President.


No.
It is literally an attempt to find masks and PPE and get them to the people that need them.
 
Don't forget farmers on open tractors need masks too. I just checked my boxes, they are N95s and one box has 1 and the other 5 or 6, so I am set for this season. I asked an old timer here what to do when I run out and he said a bandana soaked in sweat is what he always used.
 
If health care providers end up re-using disposable masks or construction type respirators how will they sterilize them?

How can we sterilize them for personal use? Dryer? Microwave?
 
I feel bad for your wife and all of the selfless healthcare works who can't get proper PPE.

But it's hard to feel super bad for the "non-profit" mega health systems that make tremendous amounts of "non-profit" and then don't invest it in holding proper amounts of inventory. For fucks sake, why would they only have a couple of weeks of PPE on hand. It really shows that their management is only concerned about their short term profits and not about being prepared to serve their communities.

It also completely blows me away that hand sanitizer isn't available. It's alcohol and glycerin and plastic bottles. Plenty of those things available. I'd make it and sell it, but I am pretty sure the FDA or the state government or somebody would shut me down. But if the politicians actually cared, this country has plenty of capacity to make PPE and hand sanitizer.
 
If health care providers end up re-using disposable masks or construction type respirators how will they sterilize them?

How can we sterilize them for personal use? Dryer? Microwave?

I have been thinking of this as well.
Most masks have a metal band to bend to fit the nose, so microwaving is probably not good.
I don’t know the answer, but it is an interesting and important question.
You want to preserve the integrity of the mask.

Maybe mist spray with 70% isopropyl alcohol and then steam them?

If they don’t have any metal, then maybe mist with water and then microwave them?
 
Don't forget farmers on open tractors need masks too. I just checked my boxes, they are N95s and one box has 1 and the other 5 or 6, so I am set for this season. I asked an old timer here what to do when I run out and he said a bandana soaked in sweat is what he always used.

I’m glad you have your masks.
A sweat soaked bandana might have a high viral load in the Coronavirus context.
I have seen some people recommending using bandanas if no face masks are available though.
Certainly better to nothing.
 
rps- You're rightly concerned about your wife and masks. But your quest for masks seems naïve. Your profile lists your location at "United States". If you want someone to hook your wife up with masks, how about specifying where you are. Where exactly do you need a source of masks?

And I'll drink the same sauce. If anyone within a 20-30 minute drive of Newton, MA has an unused supply of medically-appropriate masks that isn't otherwise destined for a hospital supply chain and would like to get them into the hands of the Boston medical community...I'm happy to pick up a pickup truck load and make sure it gets delivered to a Boston-area hospital. Free is great and I'm happy to facilitate a donation. Not free is probably also great in that if someone wants to sell masks that are not otherwise destined for medical procurement I'm happy to spend a few hours working with my wife to facilitate an introduction to someone at a Boston-area hospital involved logistics to see if they're interested in talking about a purchase.
 
Respirators are available.... I contacted a company that has 3 million in stock.... Hoarding is a problem, misinformation and mismanagement is another and hysteria further compounds the problem. And, if I were you, I'd be pissed too, my response is simply stating that respirators are available why your wife and those that need them can't get them is the $64,000.00 question.

Another question is why are a few thousand corona patients causing hospital shortages when during a normal season 500,000 plus people with flu-like illnesses are hospitalized for complications?

The CDC tracks infection trends and keeps the hospitals updated as to what they can expect in coming months.

And as for the OP's suggestion that everyone send HIM masks instead of directly to affected institutions, number one I would never do so due to the irregularity and uncertainty as to just who would get the masks, and number two I would never entrust anything even remotely important to a serious TDS sufferer who feels he has to sully a request for help with a political diatribe.
 
If health care providers end up re-using disposable masks or construction type respirators how will they sterilize them?

How can we sterilize them for personal use? Dryer? Microwave?

Sunlight and fresh air? Besides, do you NEED a mask because you are contagious or immune compromised or are you just one of those who feels he needs it for protection?

The reason I ask is because unless you had them on hand for other purposes before this became an issue I'd suggest that panic buying leads to shortages for those who need them and while one box of masks might not seem like much when 10,000 people do the same thing supplies dry up fast.
 
rps- You're rightly concerned about your wife and masks. But your quest for masks seems naïve. Your profile lists your location at "United States". If you want someone to hook your wife up with masks, how about specifying where you are. Where exactly do you need a source of masks?

Her facility is in Sunnyvale, California (Santa Clara County), but there are shortages elsewhere in in this county and other counties as well.


And I'll drink the same sauce. If anyone within a 20-30 minute drive of Newton, MA has an unused supply of medically-appropriate masks that isn't otherwise destined for a hospital supply chain and would like to get them into the hands of the Boston medical community...I'm happy to pick up a pickup truck load and make sure it gets delivered to a Boston-area hospital. Free is great and I'm happy to facilitate a donation. Not free is probably also great in that if someone wants to sell masks that are not otherwise destined for medical procurement I'm happy to spend a few hours working with my wife to facilitate an introduction to someone at a Boston-area hospital involved logistics to see if they're interested in talking about a purchase.

Someone a short while ago gave me a contact where they have millions of N95 masks, but they want to sell in large quantities. My wife’s facility is not large, so I’m not sure they can buy them.
My wife just worked a double shift and is zonked out sleeping right now, but when she wakes up I’m going to have her tell her office to call them.
 
If health care providers end up re-using disposable masks or construction type respirators how will they sterilize them?

How can we sterilize them for personal use? Dryer? Microwave?

Dunno about corona virus but Ebola is similar "enveloped virus" and 1 hour at 60degrees(c) is enough to disinfect the equipment.
Information on the Survivability of the Ebola Virus in Medical Waste
| Cleaning and Disinfecting | Clinicians | Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease) | CDC

To be sure add extra time to allow for heat to penetrate whatever material you are disinfecting or measure actual material temperature and start timer based on that.
 
And as for the OP's suggestion that everyone send HIM masks instead of directly to affected institutions, number one I would never do so due to the irregularity and uncertainty as to just who would get the masks, and number two I would never entrust anything even remotely important to a serious TDS sufferer who feels he has to sully a request for help with a political diatribe.

Please read it again...
Actually, I suggested people get them to the people who need them:

“If you have N95 masks, PLEASE get them to the people that need them or get them to me and I will get them to the people that need them!”
 








 
Back
Top