Medical gear shortage could worsen if virus does

The shortage of protective gear for medical workers on the front lines of fighting the novel coronavirus pneumonia in Hubei province could remain severe if the number of patients continues to increase, the deputy governor of the province said.

The country has been trying its best to provide protective suits and masks for medical workers in Hubei, where the outbreak started, but there are still not enough supplies, Cao Guangjing, vice-governor of Hubei province, said at a news conference in the provincial capital of Wuhan.

All the major factories making protective suits and masks in Hubei have reached maximum capacity, and many are setting up new production lines to ensure supplies. Currently, about 90 percent of the masks and 55 percent of the protective suits used in hospitals in Hubei are locally sourced, Cao said.

However, if the number of people infected continues to grow, the protective suits and masks shortage would persist or worsen, he said.

To ensure that the medical workers can be equipped with protective gear without delay, the provincial government has required local manufactures to directly deliver the gear to local hospitals, but it's still difficult to meet the demand, Cao added.

Also, the number of medical supplies sent to Hubei from the central government as well as other provinces, regions and municipalities had reached 10 million by Friday, while the public also has donated 10 million pieces, he said.

Hubei will soon introduce a directive on the distribution of protective gear to ensure medical teams at different levels can have gear that suits their working environment, Wang Qiyang, director of the Department of Economy and Information Technology of Hubei province, said at the news conference.

"We must ensure protective gear of the highest standard can be sent to medical workers working with the most severe patients so their health won't be compromised by using gear of the lower standards," Wang said.

The provincial government also prohibits non-medical workers from using protective suits and N95 masks that will be sent only to hospitals, Wang added.