Shortage of Protective Gear Threatens Workers Across Industries

On April 3, Shaun Robinson started his day like he always does. He ate his breakfast, took his dog for a walk and put on his uniform for work. He kissed his girlfriend goodbye, grabbed his keys and started his daily commute.

When he got to his workplace, Robinson walked in and washed his hands as part of the new program at his job to stop the spread of coronavirus. He grabbed his work belt, fastened his boots and tied a bandana around his face.

Robinson is a corrections officer at a maximum security prison in Michigan that’s facing a shortage of personal protective equipment.

“When this whole thing started, the prisoners manufactured us masks from the state blue pants,” Robinson said. “They cut three-inch strips off the legs, sewed some elastic to them and that was your mask.”

Robinson’s prison isn’t the only one facing these problems. All around the world, there’s been a shortage of personal protective equipment for those on the frontlines of coronavirus. 

According to a studyby GetUsPPE.org, over 20% of medical faculties in the United States have no supply of N95 masks, 10% have no surgical masks and 15% have no hand sanitizer left. 

For Aaron Jin, an EMT who works in Los Angeles, the shortage has affected him personally.

“We’re getting way less calls than usual,” Jin said. “If we do get calls though, we’re normally transferring confirmed COVID-19 patients to other hospitals. The thing is that we’re being told that we should be using one N95 mask for the next few months when we’re usually supposed to throw them out after each call.”

Being forced to reuse masks has put Jin in an unfortunate position, but for others it’s had a more serious effect on their lives. When Michigan was only allowing guards to wear prisoner-made masks, Robinson got sick with COVID-19. 

“It was inevitable that I got it because there’s no way to stay healthy without proper PPE in maximum security,” Robinson said. “There’s no social distancing in prison.”

Fortunately, this shortage is something that’s only become a problem within the last month. John Glen is a British Army doctor who was working at an emergency care clinic in London during the first week of the outbreak.

“We didn’t have any supply issues during that first week,” said Glen.

However, it was something that many predicted would happen before COVID19 became an epidemic. In a press release dated March 3, 2020, The World Health Organization called on governments and manufacturers to increase production of personal protective equipment by 40%. 

“Based on WHO modelling, an estimated 89 million medical masks are required for the COVID-19 response each month,” the WHO report said.

Because governments did not heed this warning, many have had to find other forms of masks to protect themselves. For Robinson, this means that he now wears a carpenter’s mask over a bandana to prevent himself from getting sick again. Jin has been forced to buy masks privately. The CDC has created a webpage showcasing how to make do during this shortage of protective equipment.

Whatever the cause, the effects of this shortage are clear. 

In separate interviews, Jin, Robinson and Glen all used the words: “I’m afraid for my personal safety.”