The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the fight against novel coronavirus is being hampered by the global shortage of protective suits and face masks, reported The Guardian.
WHO Chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the world is facing a chronic shortage on protective equipment (PPE) because of widespread inappropriate use of PPEs.
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“Global stocks of masks and respirators are now insufficient to meet the needs of WHO and our partners,” he said.
Panic buying has pushed the demand to surged up to 100 times higher than normal, while the prices spiked up to 20 times higher.
Ghebreyesus appealed on affected countries to avoid stockpiling of protective gears that are needed in Chinese hospitals.
“There’s a limited stock of PPE and we have to make sure we get it to the people who need it most, in the places that need it most,” he pointed out.
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The leader of the UN agency stressed that health workers should be the first priority followed by people who are sick and their caregivers.
WHO has been sending testing kits, masks, gloves, respirators and gowns to every region to combat the spread of the deadly virus, that has infected over 30,000 globally.
