Cottage Reports ‘Emergency-Level’ Shortage of Protective Respirators for Staff
Additionally, 194,000 N95 Masks Arrived from State Cache in ‘Unusable Condition’
Cottage Health says its supply of 108 PAPR (powered air-purifying respirator) shields — such as the kind worn here by a U.S. Army nurse — constitutes an "emergency-level" shortage.
| Credit: Courtesy
In a letter sent Thursday evening to Cottage Health staff, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Edmund M. Wroblewski described “emergency-level” shortages of certain protective equipment for doctors and nurses treating COVID-19 patients.
Wroblewski also stated that the 194,000 N95 masks Cottage recently received from the state cache are “unusable in their current condition.”
“Unfortunately, while in the state inventory, the elastic strap degraded over time and no longer functions,” he wrote. Cottage is now talking to local manufacturers about potential repairs.
