Front-Line Health Care Workers Across the Country Face Shortage Of Protective Gear

Kaiser Health News

California Healthline senior correspondent Anna Maria Barry-Jester recently appeared on KQED’s “Forum” to discuss how hospitals are grappling with a shortage of protective gear during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday, March 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order for residents to stay at home. He projected that 56% of the state’s population could be infected by COVID-19 over an eight-week period if mitigation efforts were ignored. In a worst-case scenario, the state would need nearly 20,000 additional hospital beds to deal with a surge in coronavirus patients.

Meanwhile, health workers in some Bay Area hospitals are wiping down and reusing masks and other equipment that used to be discarded after each use.

Advertisement

As efforts are underway to ramp up hospital capacity, will health care workers be equipped to help patients?

Listen to the episode on KQED’s website or via the embedded player below.