Healthcare workers are reusing the very few face masks they have left — and they're begging the government to give them the protective equipment they desperately need

A staff works at a N95 mask production workshop of the Naton Medical Group in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2020. Approved by local authorities, the Naton Medical Group in Beijing has set up a facial mask production line to ensure the supply of facial masks during the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic.
A staff works at a N95 mask production workshop of the Naton Medical Group in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2020. Xinhua/Ren Chao/Getty Images
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Charnai Prefontaine, an ICU nurse in Illinois, told Business Insider that she has had to use the same mask for a 12-hour shift, and sometimes, for several days to cope with the lack of extras. She's had to place one mask in a bag and label it with her name and date of use.

Charnai Prefontaine
Charnai Prefontaine

Dr. Green, an emergency physician, has had to use the same PPE (captured in the photo below) for three days. PPE, or personal protective equipment, is gear that workers wear to protect themselves from trauma and infection.

Dr. Green
Dr. Green
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Gayatri Joshi, a trauma radiologist in Atlanta, told Business Insider that she and her colleagues have been saving masks for healthcare workers at greater risk of airborne contamination — those giving oral exams, or conducting intubation and suctioning.

Gayatri Joshi
Gayatri Joshi

Miguel Ruiz, a hospice nurse in Texas, told Business Insider that he has been reusing the same mask for every visit, unlike before, when he typically used a fresh mask after every visit.

Miguel Ruiz
Miguel Ruiz
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Dr. Vidya Ramantha has been using one mask per day instead of before the outbreak, when she used a new mask for every patient.

Vidya Ramanathan
Vidya Ramanathan
coronavirus Healthcare Doctor
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