WHO has warned that disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) – caused by rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse – is putting lives at risk. Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, prices have surged. Surgical masks have seen a sixfold increase, N95 respirators have trebled and gowns have doubled. Supplies can take months to deliver and market manipulation is widespread, with stocks frequently sold to the highest bidder. WHO therefore calls on industry and governments to increase manufacturing by 40 per cent.
WHO has so far shipped nearly half a million sets of personal protective equipment to 47 countries, but supplies are rapidly depleting. Based on WHO modelling, an estimated 89 million medical masks are required for the Covid-19 response each month. For examination gloves, that figure goes up to 76 million, while international demand for goggles stands at 1.6 million per month. See here.
There are also global shortages of disinfectants. The global chemical industry is stepping up with a massive pivot towards the production of key raw materials for hand sanitizers as well as the finished product itself. See here for an overview.
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