4 ms·

Surely doctors get their masks from medical suppliers and not off Amazon or from corner stores?

owenmarshall 7y ago
The same companies make both masks, and we have a run on the bank right now. Most likely 3M and crew are tooling up their production and diverting product to medical customers, but it’s still going to be tight for a while.
- droithomme 7y ago
  According to early February's reports, 3M's mask making factory - in China - was nationalized by the Chinese Government. Ships en route to the US with mask deliveries were supposedly ordered to turn around and bring the masks back to China.
  - owenmarshall 7y ago
    Given the situation in China, that seems to be a prudent action.
  - yread 7y ago
    source?
    - droithomme 7y ago
      Whitehouse trade advisor Peter Navarro made the claim in an interview on February 24th: https://youtu.be/4nM0gDDKYDQ?t=205 https://youtu.be/4nM0gDDKYDQ?t=205 > "Let's take face masks for example. N95 face masks. Typical problem, China. China basically makes a bunch of them. Well the first thing they did was put on export restrictions so that we couldn't get any of them. Next thing they did was nationalize effectively 3M, our company, in China, to prevent them from sending us any stuff." On February 23rd Navarro discussed it as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImxuY_yLCBQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImxuY_yLCBQ > "China put export restrictions on those masks and then nationalized an American factory that produces them there."
      - yread 7y ago
        Wow. Thanks
  - yodon 7y ago
    Source? I'm listening to NPR doing an interview with 3M's mask-making division as I read this and there's zero mention of the supposed nationalization you report. I strongly suspect you have fallen prey to trolling.
    - droithomme 7y ago
      Whitehouse trade advisor Peter Navarro made the claim in an interview on February 24th: https://youtu.be/4nM0gDDKYDQ?t=205 https://youtu.be/4nM0gDDKYDQ?t=205 > "Let's take face masks for example. N95 face masks. Typical problem, China. China basically makes a bunch of them. Well the first thing they did was put on export restrictions so that we couldn't get any of them. Next thing they did was nationalize effectively 3M, our company, in China, to prevent them from sending us any stuff." On February 23rd Navarro discussed it as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImxuY_yLCBQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImxuY_yLCBQ > "China put export restrictions on those masks and then nationalized an American factory that produces them there."
      - yodon 7y ago
        Thanks for tracking that down. In any other administration I would have considered a White House spokesperson to be as good as a primary source but this administration's messaging does not hold to the same traditions of truth as previous administrations (of either party).
arkades 7y ago
Speaking for my office and the offices of friends: Between lay people buying up existing stock, and disruptions to production in China, we are seeing shortages. Some of our suppliers are restricting us to historical orders (if you usually ordered 5 boxes/mo, that's what you're getting), others are restricting us to flat-out number caps (3 boxes/mo, period). They are not taking new accounts, even from medical practices. My office practice is such that we have very low historical usage, and in this climate can't increase orders to keep up with the current level of caution patients prefer. I've ended up ordering P100s instead of surgical masks or N95s because they're the only thing I could get a hold of (and more effective than N95s), just to have something in the closet in case of a surge in need. I had to get it from an industrial supplier, and my understanding is that my modest order cleaned them out. It ain't great.

The same companies make both masks, and we have a run on the bank right now. Most likely 3M and crew are tooling up their production and diverting product to medical customers, but it’s still going to be tight for a while.

droithomme 7y ago
According to early February's reports, 3M's mask making factory - in China - was nationalized by the Chinese Government. Ships en route to the US with mask deliveries were supposedly ordered to turn around and bring the masks back to China.
- owenmarshall 7y ago
  Given the situation in China, that seems to be a prudent action.
- yread 7y ago
  source?
  - droithomme 7y ago
    Whitehouse trade advisor Peter Navarro made the claim in an interview on February 24th: https://youtu.be/4nM0gDDKYDQ?t=205 https://youtu.be/4nM0gDDKYDQ?t=205 > "Let's take face masks for example. N95 face masks. Typical problem, China. China basically makes a bunch of them. Well the first thing they did was put on export restrictions so that we couldn't get any of them. Next thing they did was nationalize effectively 3M, our company, in China, to prevent them from sending us any stuff." On February 23rd Navarro discussed it as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImxuY_yLCBQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImxuY_yLCBQ > "China put export restrictions on those masks and then nationalized an American factory that produces them there."
    - yread 7y ago
      Wow. Thanks
- yodon 7y ago
  Source? I'm listening to NPR doing an interview with 3M's mask-making division as I read this and there's zero mention of the supposed nationalization you report. I strongly suspect you have fallen prey to trolling.
  - droithomme 7y ago
    Whitehouse trade advisor Peter Navarro made the claim in an interview on February 24th: https://youtu.be/4nM0gDDKYDQ?t=205 https://youtu.be/4nM0gDDKYDQ?t=205 > "Let's take face masks for example. N95 face masks. Typical problem, China. China basically makes a bunch of them. Well the first thing they did was put on export restrictions so that we couldn't get any of them. Next thing they did was nationalize effectively 3M, our company, in China, to prevent them from sending us any stuff." On February 23rd Navarro discussed it as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImxuY_yLCBQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImxuY_yLCBQ > "China put export restrictions on those masks and then nationalized an American factory that produces them there."
    - yodon 7y ago
      Thanks for tracking that down. In any other administration I would have considered a White House spokesperson to be as good as a primary source but this administration's messaging does not hold to the same traditions of truth as previous administrations (of either party).

arkades 7y ago

Speaking for my office and the offices of friends: Between lay people buying up existing stock, and disruptions to production in China, we are seeing shortages. Some of our suppliers are restricting us to historical orders (if you usually ordered 5 boxes/mo, that's what you're getting), others are restricting us to flat-out number caps (3 boxes/mo, period). They are not taking new accounts, even from medical practices. My office practice is such that we have very low historical usage, and in this climate can't increase orders to keep up with the current level of caution patients prefer. I've ended up ordering P100s instead of surgical masks or N95s because they're the only thing I could get a hold of (and more effective than N95s), just to have something in the closet in case of a surge in need. I had to get it from an industrial supplier, and my understanding is that my modest order cleaned them out. It ain't great.