The surgical face mask has become the popular icon of the current Influenza A (H1N1) virus spread, formerly known as swine flu. The shortage of these masks elicits a pandemic fear even ahead of the H1N1 being pronounced a full-blown pandemic. In the US, health authorities admit that there are not enough face masks as there should be.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says the country will require upwards of 30 billion masks, of which 27 billion will be of the ordinary surgical variety. This type can only be effectively worn for approximately two hours, needing a replacement after. At current stock volume, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Strategic National Stockpile only has 119 million masks, of which 39 million are surgical and 80 million are of the respirator type.
Comparatively, the US lags behind in mask stock preparedness. The country only has the ratio of one mask for every three Americans. On the other hand, Australia has the ratio of 2.5 masks per resident, while the UK has six per resident.
Maskmakers have been deluged with international orders since the onset of the H1N1 panic. Most of these maskmakers have outsourced their mask factory operations offshore in Mexico or China. Logically, before the worst of the H1N1 pandemic strikes, Mexico and China will decide to stockpile their own countries first before responding to international orders such as those coming from the US.
According to the latest WHO update of May 22, 2009, 42 countries have officially reported 11,168 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection, including 86 deaths.
Via TIME
