We should use the Defense Production act to ramp up production of N95 masks until..

[LAS14]

... everyone who wants one (or more) can get them. Why is nothing said about this?

tia
las

[mucifer]

1. Biden talked about using it for more PPE in a speech this week. I agree with you. I hope he does it

In his speech it was about healthcare PPE

[murielm99]

2. Let's hope President Biden will do this.

We can save many lives if everyone wears a mask. This how much more effective N95 masks would be on everyone who wants them.

[KPN]

3. I'm sure Biden will do that and everything else that a nation can do to

maximize every Americans’ ability to be safe, healthy and survive through this totally unnecessary epidemic.

[consider_this]

4. Agreed - I have been saying this...

multiple times here. The best thing about EVERYONE having N95 is that those mask protect the wearer - so even with the maskless selfish jerks running around, those who do care can care for their own health to a greater extent.

[grantcart]

5. Simple cloth masks are effective in non ICU environments

The problem is people not wearing them.

Last Wal-Mart I went to 1/3 were not wearing masks including 5 different idiots who were not wearing masks but were wearing side arms.

Tough to get anything done when you have 40 million hardcore idiots.

[Bobstandard]

6. Cloth masks protect others, N95s ptotect you

There’s a big differebetween the two. By now we should all have access to N95s. It’s just another trump failure

[Shermann]

7. I believe the KN95's are a decent replacement

Not sure though. The MSM coverage really blows. How can they hammer on MASKS MASKS MASKS and never discuss the KN95's?

There is a difference in these masks, and small differences add up.

[helpisontheway]

9. I think KN95's are better than cloth but not as good as N95

I have stocked up on KN95’s. I love them because it is easy to breathe. If I go to the store or something I wear my KN95 mask and sometimes a disposable type (or buff) over it. I have a few N95’s set aside for dr appointments. I have ton of disposable ones that I tend to wear outside during my walks (my mask is on a lanyard so I pop it up and down if someone comes near me).

[SheltieLover]

10. Deliberate to ensure spread

Putin's agenda.

[Liberal In Texas]

8. I've had no trouble buying N95s online.

And I've also noticed KN95s are available. (The difference is the KNs meet Asian standards, the Ns US. The KNs are probably just as effective.)

[SheltieLover]

11. Are you getting 3M N-95s?

I can't find them for a decent price.

I bought a box of 50 for $30 in Feb. Identical package was $750 on ebay last I looked.

[Liberal In Texas]

12. No, I've heard 3Ms are being diverted almost exclusively

to the medical field. Mine came from a distributor in Houston that imports them from China. They are NIOSH certified (and the Chinese manufacturer is on listed on the NIOSH website.)

[SheltieLover]

13. Ok ty

This really makes me angry!

Defense production act would have ensured PLENTY FOR ALL AMERICANS!

[Liberal In Texas]

16. And I would prefer to buy American made ones.

But like almost everything else, we've allowed companies to move production to China and elsewhere. But that's another rant.

[SheltieLover]

18. Absolutely!

Sorry I didn't mean my rant to be directed at you.

Putin's puppet is causing this!

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

15. always good to check the NIOSH website

There are way too many fakes out there now.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

17. The problem is the material used in N95's is difficult to make

The machines required to produce the material are all running at capacity. New machines can take 9-12 months to just to build them, though I have read more recently that they can now get machines made in 6 months, with another month required to assemble them, and another month after that to calibrate and certify that the material they make meets standards.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/n95-mask-shortage-melt-blown-filters/]

"There are only five or six companies across the globe that make these machines, and they're not inexpensive. These are sizable machines, a lot of technology, a lot of air handling, a lot of electronics, a lot of precision moving parts," Rousse said. "Normally it's nine to 12 months before you could get a machine delivery."

This article says 9-12 months, I've seen a more recent article, that I can't find at the moment, say they can get it down to 6 months.
Unfortunately, throwing money at something can only speed things up so fast, especially when it comes to precision stuff like this. Some things can't just be rushed. Better to spend 2 extra months getting it right, then rushing it through in a few months only to find out something got messed up along the way and now it all needs to get disassembled and redone.

Clearer leadership and federal money would definitely help since new production lines for N95's would take significant investment. The machines cost as much as $5 million. Between that cost plus the long lead time, few companies have the cash or want to take the risk of investing millions on something that may have a short term demand. A vaccine could be out next year which could kill the demand for masks.

[SheltieLover]

19. Ty, Beagle!

But are more machines ccurrently being built??? Guessing not.

Defense Production Act could have ensured this action, but not with putin puppet illegally occupying the WH!

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

22. That I don't know

I remember hearing 3M and I think another domestic manufacturer had their production lines running 24/7 back in early April. But I believe the overwhelming bulk of this material was produced overseas, like in China, Taiwan, etc, and I know Taiwan halted export of the material early on.

[SheltieLover]

23. Ty!

[LAS14]

25. That's why we have to launch a "fly to the moon" effort. Come up with different...

... ways of manufacturing masks that are just as good. Bring to bear the kind of scientific breakthroughs that let us develop a COVID vaccine within months, not years. Take this on like it was WWII.

[spanone]

20. This should have been done seven months ago....at least

[SheltieLover]

24. Absofuckingloutely!

Unless one's agenda is to kill & sicken as many as possible!

Looking at pumpkinhead shitstain.

[judeling]

21. The saddest thing in this whole saga is 3M was begging for this in January

By early January they were bringing their slack online and doubling their production and reached out for supply and distribution chain help and were rebuffed. By February they had already put in place plans to ramp production from 14million a month to 95million and reached out again. Instead they got into a distribution fight with Kushner as he tried to stop 3M from supplying Canada from the US. At that time 3M was importing more then that from Asia as those facilities got huge government support.

Far from even just neglect the administration actually set back production.

So you know haw at least that came out. Rumor has it the Roman (3M) told Navarro that fine he'd just import through Vancouver and let Navarro deal with it. So the situation got resolved in a totally Trumpian way: 3M did nothing different, Trump announced he invoked the Defense Production Act and 3M got awarded a DOD contract for their already announced production goals.