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American Doctors and Nurses Are Fast Running Out of Masks and Gowns Yet Again

Nurses say they’re having to reuse masks, in some cases for weeks at a time.

It was bad enough the first time round—but now there’s really no excuse. U.S. doctors and nurses say they’re running low on masks, gowns, and gloves yet again, some five months after the coronavirus pandemic reached America. The Washington Post reports that, as the nation sees record numbers of new infections, nurses are being forced to reuse N95 masks for weeks at a time and doctors say their offices are staying shut because they don’t have the equipment they need to keep their staff safe from infection. “A lot people thought once the alarm was sounded back in March surely the federal government would fix this, but that hasn’t happened,” said Deborah Burger, a California nurse and president of National Nurses United. White House officials reportedly dismissed concerns over PPE shortages, saying manufacturing and stockpiles of the equipment have drastically improved since the first months of the pandemic. “I’m not going to tell you we’re able to meet all demand, but there’s significantly less unfulfilled orders today than in April,” said Rear Adm. John Polowczyk, who is in charge of virus-related supplies.