Writing about the shortage of masks, gowns, face shields, etc. feels incomprehensible. This is partly because we are hearing about a shortage of masks/gowns/gloves/etc. from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (and any other state governor you listen to), yet the White House announces that companies like Jockey are repositioning themselves to make the masks and the cloth materials. Gov. Cuomo will gratefully acknowledge a donation of “1 million desperately needed surgical masks for New York's essential workers in collaboration with New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and China's Consul General Huang Ping.”

Haute Couture Designer Christian Siriano has converted his design shop to making masks for medical workers during the shortage of official CDC grade N95 masks. The CDC issues emergency-grade mask guidelines, and that is what he and other makers are … — Haute Couture Designer Christian Siriano has converted his design shop to making masks for medical workers during the shortage of official CDC grade N95 masks. The CDC issues emergency-grade mask guidelines, and that is what he and other makers are stitching as quickly as possible
Photo Credit: @csiriano

Yet medical professionals in the field just don’t have the masks and are using bandanas and whatever they can find to protect themselves. Even Vogue is writing about it, pointing out that China had temporarily halted production and export of the masks due to their own quarantine issues. Vogue and others are pushing for design companies to shift production to make masks, gowns, etc. Gov. Cuomo is very upset about the China production reality, and brings it up now at daily briefings. New York makers and some Beaconites saw this coming, and started a sewing group to specifically sew masks for medical workers: NY Mask-Makers Supporting Our COVID-19 Avengers! (accepting hospitals) tightly moderated by Rena Leinberger.

Some haute couture designers, like Christian Siriano (former “Project Runway” winner and known for his fantastical designs), have completely turned their U.S. production studios into mask-making factories. A modern English tailoring company, Reeves Bespoke (lives in Beacon! ALBB wrote about them here) has put their team, normally based in Union Square, to work in their homes on their home sewing machines to stitch masks for medical front-liners. The shirt maker Mel Gambert has converted his small shop of 17 people to stitch two types of medical masks.

Ask any medical professional friend of yours, and the answer will be the same. My friend in Maine whose Dad came out of retirement to work the front lines texted me today to say that he still did not have an N95 mask. He started serving two weeks ago. So many masks are used during the course of the day, the demand for them is staggering.

Because of the state of emergency, the CDC has issued approval for others to make masks that follow a set of guidelines, which you can look at here. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine brought up an Ohio company, Battelle Labs, who developed technology for an N95 mask sterilizer machine years ago, that had grown dusty waiting for FDA approval. The machine could have sterilized a single N95 mask 20 times for re-use instead of trash. That approval, after a lot of arm-wrestling, came last week. As reported by WCPO Cincinnati:

“The FDA, after appeals from Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, has approved Columbus-based company Battelle’s new technology to disinfect N95 masks, conceding to the company’s request for permission to clean up to 80,000 masks a day for healthcare professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

”Early Sunday morning, the FDA had given Battelle permission to use the technology, but only to clean 10,000 masks per machine, per day. By contrast, the company was requesting clearance to clean 80,000 masks per machine, per day.

”During a heated press conference Sunday afternoon, Governor Mike DeWine called the Food and Drug Administration ‘reckless,’ and asked the agency to allow Battelle Labs to move forward with mask-sterilizing technology.

"‘We have been waiting and waiting and waiting,’ said DeWine. ‘Let us move forward,’ DeWine said, pouding on the podium during his Sunday news conference. ‘We have to protect people on the frontline.’

“‘This has the ability to help,’ Governor DeWine continued. ‘The urgency of getting these online … is not just for Ohioans. It is for the people throughout the country.’”

The FDA eventually did approve the 80,000, and the president did talk about it during a White House briefing. But there are only a handful of machines in the world at the moment. Boston is getting one soon, and is dedicating a vacant former Kmart store to be a location to disinfect the masks.

The Mask Shortage Was Well-Known Among Medical Professionals

Prior to the coronavirus wake-up call, a nurse I talked to in Beacon was already woke to the collapse of the health care system, and knew that the hospital system would be crushed because the United States and hospitals were not prepared with the supplies. Governor Cuomo has been calling for PPE supplies from the beginning - roughly 30 days ago now - and gratefully acknowledges when a donation is announced. The verbal confirmation of that gives a moment of relief. But.

The masks are not in hand as hospitals fill up. New York City hospitals are already full, pushing one of the first overflow hospitals at the Javits Center to open up to COVID-19 patients. Originally, the overflow hospital was reserved for non-COVID-19 patients, but already, the 2,500 beds are needed for COVID-19. “As it turned out,” said Governor Cuomo in his 4/3/2020 briefing, “we don’t have non-COVID people to any great extent in the hospitals. Hospitals have turned into effectively ICU hospitals for COVID patients. We wanted to convert Javits from non-COVID to COVID.” The governor had to push for federal approval on that, since the Javits Center was set up and staffed by federal workers. After a push to the president, the governor got the approval.

This Is How Many N95 Masks Are Needed

To give you an idea of the how large an amount of N95 masks are needed - New York had 53,000 hospital beds, and Governor Cuomo has anticipated needing 113,000 beds. That doesn’t include the ICU beds which accompany the ventilators, used by people who are on in the worst stages of COVID-19. New York State has 3,000 ICU beds, and needs 18,000, but possibly 37,000. Governor Cuomo mandated that elective surgeries stop, and that hospitals get creative with finding room for more beds within their facilities (New York has also purchased a lot more beds to fill the space). And that’s just one state. There are 50 states who are facing this pandemic. Now you see why a donated amount of 1 million masks is amazing, but is a drop in the bucket. And that doesn’t account for gowns, and everything else.

Where Are The Masks?

Reporters during the press briefings are quick to ask if the masks or PPE equipment has shipped, and where it is. Which hospital. Governor Cuomo answers as best he can. Reports at different media outlets will come out, chasing the PPE equipment, and the cycle goes on to figure out how to get enough PPE equipment (masks, gowns, face shields, etc.) This week, the governor announced that the hospitals would be forced to work together, in order to spread the PPE around as needed.

The Makers Get Involved In Mask Making

Enter the Makers. The sewers and stitchers of the world are stitching as fast as their presser feet will sew on their home machines to constantly churn out emergency-medical grade masks for the front line medical workers within their localities. In St. Louis, Dr. Timothy Lancaster, MD Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Barnes Jewish Hospital, whose wife is a friend of mine, was doing something that shocked her: he was “talking via Facebook Messenger Video with a (thorough, thoughtful, very generous) crafter from Missouri” who was doing a deep dive on her research for making the hand-stitched masks - that are not comparable to an N95 mask made with CDC guidelines (as per the Comment below, to make sure this is clear). She is one of many, many crafters around the country making these masks now.

Makers doing this work are fueled by the desire and ability to help. And their maker spheres are filled with adrenaline to help and hopefully impact even one medical worker.

But the sense of systems failing have some angry as they stitch (and you don’t want an angry stitcher). Says one Beaconite who wanted to remain anonymous: “It doesn’t feel good to make them. It feels terrible. I feel awful and it hurts to sit there for hours making them. Our government has failed us and the fact that I, a former costume designer, have had to start making dozens of masks is very frustrating. I get 2-5 inquiries a day to make masks for people. And I say Yes and ask for a donation to Fareground Food + Community instead of payment. But it’s a lot. It takes hours of my day and I admit I have to take breaks. I’m also trying to work my job and take care of my kids at home and cook and clean for 5 people.”

Article on that to come next. But first, you’ll hear from two Beaconites: Josephine Johnston (bioethics researcher) and Katherine Wheeler-Martin (an epidemiologist) on when these homemade masks are acceptable in healthcare settings during crisis situations.

Do You Manufacture Clothing? New York State Is Hiring

Governor Cuomo wants to ramp up production in your production environment. He tweets and says during daily briefings: “We need more supplies. We need your help. If you can manufacture PPE I urge you to do so. New York can offer funding. Email Covid19supplies@esd.ny.gov.”