Who’s to blame for the ventilator and mask shortages . It ain’t us

a reply to: MotherMayEye

The shelves were completely empty.

Maybe because others got there first?

Do you reckon the stores sent their toilet paper to China too?

a reply to: carewemust

This isn't one side or the other...Obama is at fault...as well as Trump. Neither of them fixed the problem and as the tippy top of the executive branch it is ultimately on them. Trump may have inherited empty stockpiles...but did he fix them?

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: MotherMayEye

Wearing a face mask is certainly not an iron-clad guarantee that you won’t get sick.

Viruses can also transmit through the eyes and tiny viral particles, known as aerosols, can penetrate most masks.

The shelves were/are completely empty of a lot more than just masks.

Yes.
Masks, respirators and gloves were gone.
But goggles are still available. I guess people weren't and still aren't aware of the need for them. I purchased tight-fitting goggles weeks ago.
Price is a factor in food shortages. I have noticed that the chicken is usually sold out at the supermarket lately, but beef and pork is still there... more beef than pork. This correspond to the price, beef being the most expensive by the pound.

originally posted by: Fallingdown
... Instead they acted like good little politicians and passed the buck. ...

Aaaaaand ... That's what politicians do.

Been awhile since we had one who said "The buck stops here."

a reply to: Ksihkehe

Yeah it’s been long enough that it should’ve been corrected. Obama had seven years to do it .

He passed the buck meaning the responsibility for something cannot or should not be passed to someone else.

He did that and apparently he did it successfully because now the blame is shifting .


It’s like the guy that comes over to your house . It doesn’t bother him in the least when he gets up and grabs the last beer . When he’s done with it he’s not getting up and going to the store . Instead he’ll just wait it out confident someone else is going to do it . ( analogy )

If you have no respect and can’t do what’s required . That says a lot about what type of person you are .

If you have no respect and can’t do what’s required then blame somebody else . Don’t worry about what kind of person you are because you’re just a POS. Lol

Obama should have replace the supplies especially after his administration was advised to .

a reply to: carewemust

In any efficiently-run organization...it's common sense/practice to restock when supply has been used up or reaches dangerously low levels.

a reply to: butcherguy

I've not noticed any significant hike in price meat wise, just lack of availability supermarket wise.

ASDA was a chore.

This 3 item bull crap is doing my nut in as we generally do fortnightly shops and i eat a lot of the same items. LoL

But needs must if it means the old and NHS staff eat, that's a given.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: MotherMayEye

The shelves were completely empty.

Maybe because others got there first?

Do you reckon the stores sent their toilet paper to China too?

That's not what I was told. She didn't say..."Yes, we sold out." Actually, I got a vibe that she was insinuating I didn't care about Chinese patients or something.

A locally owned hardware store shipping stock off to China? That's unusual.

I didn't say anything about toilet paper so I don't know why that got brought up.

a reply to: andy06shake

Can't say about meat or the grocery but I know some service stations here in vegas are upping prices during this. I know because my wife is a sales rep and she just had to go in yesterday and change a clients pricing in all the stores in her area. And those changes weren't lower...

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: butcherguy

I've not noticed any significant hike in price meat wise, just lack of availability supermarket wise.

ASDA was a chore.

This 3 item bull crap is doing my nut in as we generally do fortnightly shops and i eat a lot of the same items. LoL

But needs must if it means the old and NHS staff eat, that's a given.

I wasn't speaking of price hikes.
Chicken is cheaper on the whole than pork, and pork is typically cheaper than beef, at least in my neck of the woods. The cheaper meats get sold out first, until what is left is the more expensive cuts of beef.
I hope that you all are weathering this storm well over there.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

A locally owned hardware store shipping stock off to China? That's unusual.

As well as doubtful.

a reply to: Phage

I'm sure she was lying. Afraid to tell me others got there before me.

Makes sense she would make up a lie about China instead.

a reply to: RickyD

Happening with the likes of hand sanitizer and bog roll over here.

Profiteering bastards are apt to get their head in their hands to play with if/when they come across the wrong sorts.

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Nobody planned on operating and maintaining them . They were for a emergency stock pile targeted at epidemics . After the initial $550 million outlay they probably never came out of the box and went straight into storage .

It’s a little late. Several years ago, after learning that the Empire State’s stockpile of medical equipment had 16,000 fewer ventilators than the 18,000 New Yorkers would need in a severe pandemic, state public-health

a reply to: MotherMayEye

Depends on her politics, perhaps.

Blame the Chinese. Right? That's where all the masks went!

I would have asked who it was who told them to ship the masks to China. Because that makes no sense.

a reply to: butcherguy

You to butcherguy.

Hopefully, we can all learn something from this cluster feck of a mess.

a reply to: Fallingdown

Yes. Obama was not a good POTUS. I expect Trump to be better.

These supplies should be on rotating expiration dates and constantly rotated. Expired masks (which are functionally fine) can be distributed to states as they expire for use during normal flu seasons, fire events, and be used by people that need them as it's our money that buys them.

Fundamentally we agree, but it doesn't just get blamed on Obama. I voted for Trump because I expect him to be better. Whoever is auditing these supplies and the agencies responsible should be accountable.

a reply to: Ksihkehe

Expired PPE should be disposed of and replaced.

If a manufacturer of a NIOSH-certified mask indicates an expiration date, shelf life, or “use by” then it follows that the mask should not be expected to provide the expected level of protection after the indicated date. It’s also after the date indicated that it’s no longer considered a NIOSH-certified mask. It’s being certified also expires as soon as it’s past due its shelf life.

There could be a lot of factors why an N95 mask has an expiration and it could be due to the materials and the parts used in the device, to the handling of the products within warehouses and to environmental conditions during storage such as temperature and humidity.

www.echofavor.com...

a reply to: Phage

Well, it made sense to me, at the time, because there was a much bigger crisis there and sending masks there seemed like it might prevent the spread elsewhere.

And she didn't sound like she was blaming China...more like 'all hands on deck' to help people who need it wherever they may be.

I actually didn't think too much of it, at the time.

It really is kind of our fault

Our fault:

Outsourcing critical supplies
Outsourcing critical supplies to a nation that lets face it is basically a totalitarian regime
Just in time supply chains (Most hospitals cannot afford to run their own logistics)
Failure to prepare from 911 on
Failure to prepare once our government started getting indications this was going to be bad (January)
Half assed and lukewarm Federal Response basically gave COVID and entire month (February) to run amok
Appalling lack of testing

Ventilators: Most hospitals have one per ICU room plus spares: So a 30 bed ICU will have about 35 Conventional vents plus 3-4 non conventional like a bronchotron, oscillator etc. They are a large capital expenditure with them running 25-35000 US each. The Also have a finite life like anything but I have no idea how long that is. So its on the Federal Government to be prepared


I am no fan of the ChiComs but if we had a similar national emergency and we needed all the N95's we could get our hands on would we keep shipping them to China?

On second thought maybe we would given the Feds offer of help to NK and Iran.