COVID-19 leads to lack of supplies

It’s been more than three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

What started as a new virus in uncharted territory has now become something more understood.

Healthcare providers now know how the virus is transmitted and what supplies are needed to avoid spreading it.

PPE or personal protective equipment refers to supplies needed to protect yourself and others.

For COVID-19, PPE includes face masks, eye protection, isolation gowns and gloves.

However, a national survey shows that between September 2020 and May 2021, nearly 1 out of 3 medical offices ran out of these essential supplies.

In addition, 4 out of 10 physicians had to turn away COVID-19 patients or refer them elsewhere for care.

Also during this time period, 1 in 3 physicians had a provider test positive for COVID-19.

The national survey also notes that telemedicine visits increased during the pandemic from 43% of providers using telemedicine at the start of the pandemic, to 88 percent using telemedicine by May 2021.