As the world braces from the exponential spread of the coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning of a looming scarcity of medical equipment. As 93,000 cases and 3,200 souls are taken by the contagion, the fear of over-pricing will be a problem for many as fatalities multiply.
In a Geneva presscon on Tuesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned that the mortality rate of COVID-19 is at 3.4%, that is more than the seasonal flu's death rate of 1.0%, which means COVID-19 can be reined in.
Since the escape from Wuhan city, the coronavirus and its disease COVID-19 has spread uncontrollably, all over the world in over 75 countries. As a result, the fear of infection has rendered medical equipment and supplies scarce.
WHO chief Ghebreyesus mentioned that 89 million medical masks, 76 million surgical gloves, with 1.6 million googles were sent abroad and worldwide to health personnel who are in the outbreaks.
Fear of impending shortages that will compromise their safety, WHO is requesting that countries and companies should step up production by at least 40% which is needed desperately.
These shortages leave many medical professionals vulnerable in the front lines of outbreaks because they are not protected sufficiently. WHO chief also remarked that 500,000 sets of protective gears in 27 countries are getting low.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "Without secure supply chains, the risk to healthcare workers around the world is real. Industry and governments must act quickly to boost supply, ease export restrictions and put measures in place to stop speculation and hoarding. We can't stop COVID-19 without protecting health workers first."
WHO is now working with many entities and the Pandemic Supply Chain Network, which is an organization in the World Economic Forum.
It is organized as the Global Pandemic Supply Chain Network that has roots in the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, and World Economic Forum in Davos back in 2015, where a united and cooperation is needed to ensure a better response for such world events.
The Network members that are part of the public sector is UN world food program (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, from the private sector is Henry Schein, Inc., Becton, Dickinson & Co., and UPS Foundation, they are the founding members.
Price increase in supplies
Most essentials like gloves, masks, respirators, googles, face shields, gowns, and aprons are now in high demand as the COVID-19 is having a field day. Many of these items are more expensive, noted WHO.
American consumers have hoarded supplies at pharmacies and supermarkets of all protective medical equipment to keep safe from the coronavirus.
But it has opened an opportunity for unscrupulous sellers on Amazon and other online shopping sites to charge more for their products, and take advantage of the demand. CNBC reported that face masks were over-priced by 582% online.
Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Etsy are online platforms where some medical items are over-priced and are selling misleading medical products. As a result, they have removed those items from the listing, suspending sellers since what they are doing is a policy violation. Just last week, Amazon scrubbed more than 1 million items for policy violations.
WHO has appealed to consumers that a medical equipment shortage looms unless hoarding and panic buying stops. If this continues, there will be less medical personnel on the outbreak front.
Related article: Facemask Shortage Hits U.S. Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Experts Advised To Stop Panic Buying
