Why don't US Citizens have access to n95 masks?

[Baltimike]

It's time to put the narrative back to what we live or die by...

[BigmanPigman]

1. I know!

I wad watching a 9/11 film and all the firefighters were wearing N95s. I was envious. I didn't even know what an N95 was 9 months ago, now I know what they look like from far away. IT doesn't want us to live so no really good, N95 masks will be coming while he is the traitor/murderer POTUS.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

2. Everyone needs to be asking this question

At the very least, we should have surgical masks. There has been ample time to supply healthcare workers and front line people. By now everyone should have access to the safest masks available.

[bottomofthehill]

3. And Lysol spray and Clorox wipes

Paper plates, the list goes on

[I_UndergroundPanther]

4. Yeah where is this stuff

I can't get rubbing alcohol anywhere,and getting hydrogen peroxide was pure luck.

These " supply line problems" have had plenty of time to resolve.

I wonder if some rethuglican are holding up supply or selling it to other countries.

We all know trump is a psychopath,and many republicans are too.

[WyattKansas]

7. A lot of it is from asshole republicans running out to stores and clearing shelves...

Then selling their stockpiles with jacked up prices online. Their mini version of the Jared Kushner national stockpile medical supplies for opportunities to make profits for the tRUMP empire online. To all of them it is just good business and everyone is loser for not thinking of it first.

[Alliepoo]

11. FirstAid Product.com has rubbing alcohol

And a bunch of other stuff. I bought a lot of alcohol and masks from them-anticipating a bad fall and winter and because like you said, it’s difficult to find. I use the alcohol to sanitize with, too. And I bought some of the 99% alcohol to make my own hand sanitizer that doesn’t smell like fermented grain! Lol!

[FakeNoose]

5. The retail stores are keeping Lysol/Chlorox wipes off their shelves

At least they have been for the last 6 months. There's an extreme shortage (obviously) and the retail stores need the Lysol and Chlorox wipes to clean their own shelves. They don't want to put just a few products out and create a stampede, so instead they keep it all stashed away.

You can bet they're selling it privately to their families & friends, it's just the customers (the rest of us) who are deprived.

[forgotmylogin]

6. I just bought hydrogen peroxide in a Walgreens drug store.

I'm in North St. Louis. They have regular (non n95) masks, hand sanitizer, and rubbing alcohol in stock. It may be regional.

They're actually putting these items toward the front of the store on an endcap instead of the usual place. They didn't have thermometers for a long time and now they have those too.

[Pantagruel]

8. MAGA has failed

when we can't even supply our citizens with cloth masks.

[Klaralven]

9. Looks like US production capability is a few billion a year

Since medical workers are supposed to discard N95 masks after each patient encounter, that's not enough for just medical workers. In fact, they use them for multiple patient and maybe discard one a day.

One mask per week for 325 million Americans would be 19 billion masks per year. On a day would be 118 billion per year.

The following article gives a lot of information on how they are made and how production by 3M and others was ramped up.

How 3M Blew Its Reputation on the N95 Mask

https://marker.medium.com/how-3m-gambled-its-reputation-on-the-n95-mask-e266a2fd8933

[Amishman]

10. I still have about 20, started covid with almost 100

Gave some away to those who needed them.

Used a bunch myself, both for shopping and also for fine dust when doing projects.

Hoping I can make what I have left last until they are available again in bulk for affordable prices.