I became curious about the situation with N95 masks...

[Ani Yun Wiya]

I found this article:
[link:http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/02/c_138835152.htm|

If it is possible to produce on the order or 200 million masks a day,
then 40 days would yield 8 billion masks, enough for the whole planet.
If the price was even 10 bucks apiece that's only 80 billion per cycle.

Why not every rich country share that small expense and give them to everyone at no cost.

edited for line length

[DFW]

1. An article appeared in the German press this morning:

The Unprepared States of America.

[uponit7771]

2. +1, Putin's whore made his pimp proud

[Takket]

3. Do you have a link? I would like to read that.

[DFW]

5. Here you go

https://projekte.sueddeutsche.de/artikel/politik/die-usa-und-der-kampf-gegen-das-coronavirus-e358341/?reduced=true

[csziggy]

4. That' 40 days to produce one mask per person

Hospital workers need multiple masks per day, best usage is to change the mask and other protective equipment between patients. That can mean many masks per day for each nurse and doctor.

Even individuals wearing them for protection need a new mask each day at minimum.

In that 40 days, each person that goes out once a week for supplies would need at least 4-5 masks. Each hospital worker would need dozens, as would anyone working with the public if they really want to be safe.

[Ani Yun Wiya]

7. If current rates are not sufficient

it would be logical to increase production, perhaps Bill Gates could set up a production facility at a variety of locations.
After all it does appear that without a vaccine, this will be back around again and at that point in time they would really be needed.

[csziggy]

12. Maybe if they had started preparing to increase production in January

But now it would be impossible to build a factory, install the machinery, train workers, and gear up to the same rate of production fast enough. The materials to manufacture the masks are also getting to be in short supply. At this p[oint by the time the logistics are in place, the pandemic will be over.

[Ani Yun Wiya]

13. However,

China ramped up production from 20 million to 100 million in short order.
We will be needing many more in the event of a second or even third wave...

[janterry]

10. Or we need to be able to clean them

My understanding is that covid will last for days on cloth. So, for example, if I had seven - I could wear them in rotation?
I'm sure there are better methods (and I see some that are being used in medical settings)

How long does the filter itself last if cleaned properly?

It seems to me that the N95 could have a replaceable filter - and that might help in terms of design.

[HarlanPepper]

14. Not true

While it’s true hospital workers need to go through large amounts of PPE, that’s not the case for the average person. According to 3Ms own specs a disposable N95 mask can be worn for up to 8 hours without compromising its effectiveness. So for the average person that’s multiple trips to the grocery store etc. per mask.

[Throck]

6. The sad part is $10 is the gouging price.

I use to buy them by the 25 pack for my woodshop and house projects. N95. Cost was $20 for the pack. The last 10 went to my sisters clinic. I use to throw them away at the end of the week, they're disinfecting them daily and reusing them.

The sad part is, her state clinic management stocked zero to begin with. A management budget decision.

[Ani Yun Wiya]

8. It is certainly wrong to gouge,

But the number I saw was $6, $10 would corner the market right?

[Marrah_Goodman]

9. If the world was't run on greed this would have already happened :(

[2naSalit]

11. +1

[lostnfound]

15. If the trump administration wasn't run on greed this would have happened already

Obama would have placed a large order, distributed them fairly.

It’s obvious that Trump is confiscating them at the entry points, artificially driving up the price, giving them to cronies for sale at inflated prices. Black market. It’s how conmen-politicians have enriched themselves through the centuries.


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Trump with Robert Hyde, aka Yovanovich stalker