Hospitals’ Supplies Of Crucial N95 Respiratory Masks Dwindling Fast And They’re Struggling To Restock

The New York Times: Some Hospitals Are Close To Running Out Of Crucial Masks For Coronavirus
As hospitals around the country prepare for an influx of highly infectious coronavirus cases, their supplies of a crucial type of respirator mask are dwindling fast. “We’re not willing to run out of N95 masks,” Dr. Susan Ray, an infectious disease specialist at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, said in a phone interview, referring to the masks by their technical name. “That’s not O.K. at my hospital.” (Goodnough, 3/9)

Politico: Hospitals Gird For Coronavirus Surge After Years Of Cutbacks
Hospitals for years have faced economic pressures to cut costs and reduce in-patient treatments as the nation tried to slow down health spending. Now the hospital industry is facing a reckoning. With a potential surge of coronavirus patients, there may not be enough beds, equipment and staff to handle an epidemic. Executives face tough decisions about who could have to be isolated and, in some cases, need oxygen, ventilators and protective gear that’s already in short supply. (Goldberg and Roubein, 3/10)

Modern Healthcare: Widespread COVID-19 Outbreak In U.S. Would Threaten Hospitals’ Finances
Hospitals that are already financially strapped are bracing for even more strain if the coronavirus outbreak gains further momentum in the U.S.It sounds counterintuitive, but a full intensive-care unit can negatively affect a hospital’s finances because the units are expensive to operate and patients have varying levels of insurance coverage, experts say. Many hospital ICUs are already crowded with influenza patients. Adding COVID-19 patients into the mix could challenge some providers. (Bannow, 3/9)

The Washington Post: How Massachusetts General Hospital Is Preparing For Coronavirus
Six weeks in, the dozens of doctors, nurses and other staffers leading the emergency response to the novel coronavirus are crammed into a small conference room. They line the walls and sit on the floor. “This is not a secret to anyone in the room: The anxiety is incredibly high in every part of the community and in the hospital,” said Paul Biddinger, a doctor who specializes in emergency medicine and is a key leader of the hospital’s response. (Brown, 3/9)

Stat: Coronavirus Outbreak Tests Nation’s Emergency Medical Stockpile 
The U.S. government has a secretive, $7 billion stash of emergency medical equipment — one that it drew on to respond to the terror attacks of 9/11, to prepare for a subsequent threat of anthrax attacks in 2001, and to help thousands of homes guard against Zika with insecticide. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus, however, marks the first potential pandemic to reach U.S. soil since the H1N1 flu of 2009, teeing up one of the biggest challenges yet for the 21-year-old store, known as the Strategic National Stockpile. (Facher, 3/10)

In other news on preparedness —

The Hill: CDC: Americans Over 60 Should ‘Stock Up’ On Supplies, Avoid Crowds 
Older Americans, especially those with underlying health conditions, should stockpile supplies and avoid unnecessary travel, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Monday. Most Americans are likely at risk of catching the novel strain of the coronavirus, said Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Older Americans are especially susceptible to serious outcomes. (Weixel, 3/9)

Reuters: CVS Health Offers Free Home Delivery Of Prescription Drugs Amid Virus Outbreak
CVS Health Corp said on Monday it would immediately waive charges for home delivery of prescription medications, in response to the U.S. health agencies urging patients to stay at home amid a fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak. This follows the company’s announcement on Friday that its health insurance unit, Aetna, will offer all diagnostic testing and telemedicine visits without any patient cost sharing for the next 90 days. (3/9)