Health Headlines - 3-19-20

In today's health headlines we talk about how volunteers at one hospital are making their own masks to safeguard hospital employees during the coronavirus outbreak.

VOLUNTEERS AT ONE HOSPITAL...TAKING ACTION... IN THE FACE OFTHE NATIONWIDESHORTAGE OF FACE MASKS.INSTEAD OF JUST WAITING FOR MORETO COME IN FROM THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT... THEY'RE MAKINGTHEIR OWN.JOEL MORENO SHOWS US HOW IT'SDONE.THE SHORTAGES OF PERSONALPROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT HAVE GOTTENSO CRITICAL--STAFFERS AT PROVIDENCE SAINTJOSEPH HEALTH ARE NOW MAKINGWHAT THEY CAN THEMSELVES."AND WE PUT ON THE FOAM."THESE RAW MATERIALS ARE READILYAVAILABLE IN STORES AROUND PUGETSOUND.19 - :22JENNIFER BAYERSDORFER/ SR.VP/CHIEF QUALITY OFFICER,PROVIDENCE ST.

JOSEPH HEALTH:"SO THESE FACE SHIELDS OFFERPROTECTION FROM SPRAY ANDSPLATTER."AND THIS WILL HELP DOCTORS ANDNURSES SAFELY TREAT PEOPLE WITHCOVID-19.:28 - :31REBECCA BARTLES/ EPIDEMIOLOGIST,PROVIDENCE ST.

JOSEPH HEALTH:"WE STARTED WITH THAT ONEBECAUSE IT'S MOST CRITICAL.

BUTWE HAVE SOME FACILITIES THAT AREVERY CLOSE TO RUNNING OUT."THEY ALSO BEGAN A FEW PROTOTYPESFOR SURGICAL MASKS."I'VE MADE ADJUSTMENTS FOR ALITTLE BIT NARROWER WIDTH AND ALITTLE SHORTER EARLOOP."IT'S ALL TO ADDRESS WHAT STATEHEALTH OFFICIALS SAY IS ADANGEROUS MEDICAL EQUIPMENTSHORTAGE DUETO THE SPEED OF THIS CORONAVIRUSOUTBREAK.ERIKA HENRY/ STATE DEPT.

OFHEALTH:"IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DENY WE AREIN A GLOBAL HEALTH PANDEMIC.THERE ARE RESOURCE SHORTAGES WESIMPLY CANNOT FILL FASTER THANTHE MEDICAL SUPPLY CHAIN CANREPLENISH." THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT HAS PROMISED HELP,AND WHILE EQUIPMENT HAS YET TOREACH THESE HEALTHCARE WORKERS, GOVERNOR JAYINSLEE SAYS THE STATE ISREACHING OUT TO ALL SUPPLIERS.1:08 - 1:16GOV.

JAY INSLEE/WASHINGTON:"WE ARE IN THE MIDST OFPROCURING A WHOLE HOST OFMEDICAL EQUIPMENT FROMVENTILATORS TOMASKS TO GLOVES THROUGH THEPRIVATE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM."FOR NOW, BE IT DESPERATE ORDETERMINED, THIS IS THE BEST WECAN DO.JENNIFER BAYERSDORFER/ SR."IT'S BOTH FRIGHTENING AND YETAT THE SAME TIME, GALVANIZINGAROUND A COMMON CAUSE."WASHINGTON STATE HEALTHOFFICIALS SAY... SOME OF THEEQUIPMENT FROM THEFEDERAL STRATEGIC STOCKPILE HASARRIVED.THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OFDISTRIBU