China goes global in search for protective suits, masks and goggles as coronavirus infections begin to take off
- Government estimates that 100,000 pieces of gear are needed every day in virus epicentre Hubei province alone, but Chinese suppliers can only meet a third of that
- Unicef, South Korea, Japan and Chinese embassies are sourcing and shipping more, while Taiwan says it must focus on its own needs
China has turned to the global supply chain for medical equipment including protective clothing, masks and goggles as pressure on health services fighting the Wuhan coronavirus grows and the number of deaths from the outbreak exceeded 200 on Friday.
According to Chinese health authorities, 213 people have succumbed to the virus, while 1,982 more cases were reported on the mainland. They said that almost 10,000 people were infected, far exceeding that of the 2002-03 Sars epidemic, which, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, infected 8,437 people worldwide and killed 813.
The increasing number of infections is adding to the burden on hospitals and staff across China, especially in central Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak.
In Beijing, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology estimated that Hubei was in need of 100,000 pieces of protective clothing and equipment every day, but that the country’s 40 manufacturers could only produce 30,000 items a day.
Unicef, South Korea, Japan and Chinese embassies were shipping humanitarian aid to China. The United Nations Children’s Fund in New York said on Wednesday that its consignment of masks and protective suits for health workers had landed in Shanghai.
