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The production lines were not there yet and you can't scale available lines up easily. Asia was ready because their leaders saw the threat of SARS. Meanwhile Eu

The production lines were not there yet and you can't scale available lines up easily. Asia was ready because their leaders saw the threat of SARS. Meanwhile European countries actually lowered ICU capacities because they were deemed "too costly".

renewiltord 6y ago
They went from near nothing to full capacity in a little over a month. I read the articles as it was happening. I watched it happen in March but I genuinely had this belief that the US bureaucracy were competent (even if the elected government wasn't). I was so confident they were competent, I didn't even short the market. That was rapidly torn apart and I think it was worth the cost I paid to learn that lesson. I posted a timeline here on HN https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22776614 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22776614 I am going to copy it for you to show you how the A-players do it: New Year's Eve: Rumours of viral pneumonia in Wuhan. All inbound flights from Wuhan subject to inspection Jan 5: All Wuhan travelers exhibiting upper respiratory inspections are now subject to screening Jan 20: First positive test Jan 21: Mask export ban, production ramp-up Jan 31: Taiwanese government forced monopsony on masks (1/3 reserved for healthcare personnel). Announces rationing first week of Feb Feb 2: Taiwanese defence personnel dispatched to bolster staffing at mask factories Feb 6: Mask rationing starts Feb 15: Mask production by end of month projected to be 10 million / day. Taiwanese population: 24 million Mar 9: Mask production 9.2 million / day Mar 16: Production 10 million / day Mar 22: Production 12.6 million / day April 3. Taiwan: Population 24 million. Density: 649 people/sq.km. First case: Jan 20. Cases: 348. Deaths: 5 April 3. Florida: Population 21.5 million. 136.5 people/sq.km. First case: Mar 7. Cases: 10268. Deaths: 170 Did we have to make the choice between the economy and lives? Did we have to choose between grandma and the dollar? Could policy have changed the outcome? You decide.
- protoman3000 6y ago
  > They went from near nothing to full capacity in a little over a month How can that be true if masks were already a highly available everyday product in metropolitan areas in e.g. China. Many people wore masks in winter almost every day even if they were not sick due to lower air quality. It is indeed true that they raised already existing capacities massively up, but compared to what has been produced in the US or in Europe they already had a starting point magnitudes higher.

renewiltord 6y ago

They went from near nothing to full capacity in a little over a month. I read the articles as it was happening. I watched it happen in March but I genuinely had this belief that the US bureaucracy were competent (even if the elected government wasn't). I was so confident they were competent, I didn't even short the market. That was rapidly torn apart and I think it was worth the cost I paid to learn that lesson. I posted a timeline here on HN https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22776614 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22776614 I am going to copy it for you to show you how the A-players do it: New Year's Eve: Rumours of viral pneumonia in Wuhan. All inbound flights from Wuhan subject to inspection Jan 5: All Wuhan travelers exhibiting upper respiratory inspections are now subject to screening Jan 20: First positive test Jan 21: Mask export ban, production ramp-up Jan 31: Taiwanese government forced monopsony on masks (1/3 reserved for healthcare personnel). Announces rationing first week of Feb Feb 2: Taiwanese defence personnel dispatched to bolster staffing at mask factories Feb 6: Mask rationing starts Feb 15: Mask production by end of month projected to be 10 million / day. Taiwanese population: 24 million Mar 9: Mask production 9.2 million / day Mar 16: Production 10 million / day Mar 22: Production 12.6 million / day April 3. Taiwan: Population 24 million. Density: 649 people/sq.km. First case: Jan 20. Cases: 348. Deaths: 5 April 3. Florida: Population 21.5 million. 136.5 people/sq.km. First case: Mar 7. Cases: 10268. Deaths: 170 Did we have to make the choice between the economy and lives? Did we have to choose between grandma and the dollar? Could policy have changed the outcome? You decide.

protoman3000 6y ago
> They went from near nothing to full capacity in a little over a month How can that be true if masks were already a highly available everyday product in metropolitan areas in e.g. China. Many people wore masks in winter almost every day even if they were not sick due to lower air quality. It is indeed true that they raised already existing capacities massively up, but compared to what has been produced in the US or in Europe they already had a starting point magnitudes higher.