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Was the Defense Production Act successful at ramping up production of PPE? It's been 8 months since I've seen a proper N95 mask on store shelves. Hearing that s

Was the Defense Production Act successful at ramping up production of PPE? It's been 8 months since I've seen a proper N95 mask on store shelves. Hearing that someone close was going through the same thing as your partner, bringing home used masks and having to hit the black market/eBay for respirators with cartridges so they wouldn't become lightheaded when transporting patients all day was shocking. I think what's even more sad is how few tech companies opened their hearts, wallets, innovations, or resources to tackling this PPE situation.

justin66 6y ago
The DPA was not employed to ramp up production of PPE.
- Der_Einzige 6y ago
  We used it for ventilators, which we later found out we wouldn't need because they usually do more harm than good.
sjg007 6y ago
It wasn't used for PPE, just ventilators.
- dragonwriter 6y ago
  > It wasn't used for PPE, just ventilators. And meat packing.
obmelvin 6y ago
My understanding from earlier reading of HN was that it takes months (closer to 1 year than 1 month from what I remember) to standup a new production line for N95 masks. With the supply chain constraints & presumable demand for such things that could possibly take even longer to set up, I think it is understandable that we haven't seen an increased supply on store shelves.
- dpeck 6y ago
  I just don’t see how this can be the reality that we’re living in. These things were $1/per at retail before the pandemic. People are ready to pay many multiples ($10/day? Sure. $20/day? Yeah) of that now, how are the economic incentives not aligned to make these things be extremely common and easy for everyone to buy.
  - iaw 6y ago
    This is where the fine print in economics comes in, things will eventually be balanced by the invisible hand but that's only in the long-term. In the short-term an untold amount of human suffering can occur. Economics doesn't solve for reduced human misery. To avoid this we would have needed adequate central plans for this event (or rather, a set of people that decided to fund the plans we did have).
    - rwmurrayVT 6y ago
      That is a massive hole that is often looked over by many. Oh, the market will take care of it. When? After we're all dying from pollution or missing fingers from faulty equipment? How can you in good faith believe the market will take care of everything?
  - obmelvin 6y ago
    I don't know enough about material science / manufacturing engineering. Obviously, the specific item being talked about here matters. If this was a purely aesthetic item that is trendy the QC matters a lot less. I would assume companies don't want to rush a new line and then be sending out masks with defects - send that to a few hospitals and your business will be done.

justin66 6y ago

The DPA was not employed to ramp up production of PPE.

Der_Einzige 6y ago
We used it for ventilators, which we later found out we wouldn't need because they usually do more harm than good.

sjg007 6y ago

It wasn't used for PPE, just ventilators.

dragonwriter 6y ago
> It wasn't used for PPE, just ventilators. And meat packing.

obmelvin 6y ago

My understanding from earlier reading of HN was that it takes months (closer to 1 year than 1 month from what I remember) to standup a new production line for N95 masks. With the supply chain constraints & presumable demand for such things that could possibly take even longer to set up, I think it is understandable that we haven't seen an increased supply on store shelves.

dpeck 6y ago
I just don’t see how this can be the reality that we’re living in. These things were $1/per at retail before the pandemic. People are ready to pay many multiples ($10/day? Sure. $20/day? Yeah) of that now, how are the economic incentives not aligned to make these things be extremely common and easy for everyone to buy.
- iaw 6y ago
  This is where the fine print in economics comes in, things will eventually be balanced by the invisible hand but that's only in the long-term. In the short-term an untold amount of human suffering can occur. Economics doesn't solve for reduced human misery. To avoid this we would have needed adequate central plans for this event (or rather, a set of people that decided to fund the plans we did have).
  - rwmurrayVT 6y ago
    That is a massive hole that is often looked over by many. Oh, the market will take care of it. When? After we're all dying from pollution or missing fingers from faulty equipment? How can you in good faith believe the market will take care of everything?
- obmelvin 6y ago
  I don't know enough about material science / manufacturing engineering. Obviously, the specific item being talked about here matters. If this was a purely aesthetic item that is trendy the QC matters a lot less. I would assume companies don't want to rush a new line and then be sending out masks with defects - send that to a few hospitals and your business will be done.