Why N95 still be in Shortage?

Strict testing procedures limit N95 production capacity.

6 months into the pandemic, the nationwide shortage of N95 respirators needed by healthcare workers and others during the coronavirus pandemic shows no indications of letting up.

In the early weeks of the pandemic, it was nearly impossible to buy N95 masks. These masks, unlike surgical masks or cloth masks, are tight-fitting and filter airborne particles that can carry the virus, making them a key source of protection for health care workers, some of whom have died after being exposed to Covid-19 at their medical facilities. Now, as the United States continues to reopen and the number cases and hospitalizations surge, that troubling shortage of personal protective equipment — and especially N95 masks — is once again a problem.

But why is there still a shortage?
1. A growing number of cases is increasing demand. Till to Sept., more than 30,000 COVID-19 cases increase each day. It means N95 still be needed by millions of people who could be protected by them — doctors, nurses, teachers and day-care workers, factory employees and flight attendants, restaurant servers, and grocery store clerks

2. It’s a very strict and long process to get NIOSH approval. Nearly no new supplier can get it in such a short time.

3.Also different from other epidemic materials like hand sanitizer or face shields, N95 is far more complicated which means it is difficult for other new manufactures to shift gears to make N95.

4.The machines to make N95 masks are costly and in short supply in the U.S. which also be a big obstacle for new manufactures to enter into the PPE line.

5. Due to the special requirements for the respirator production procedure, it is difficult to boot production capacity largely, especially the surgical N95. Even current N95 supplier such as 3M and Honeywell boost their production capacity. It still falls short of 3.5 billion.

This is why the supply chain still can’t meet the demands. Wish effective vaccines can be applied to the whole world soon to end up COVID-19 at end of this year. All like at the beginning.