3/22/2020 inewsource Mail - statement Jill Castellano statement Milla K. To: jillcastellano@inewsource.org Fri, Mar 20, 2020 at 12:03 PM In creating this petition, I, along with my colleagues, Dr. Constance Chace and Dr. Supraja Thota hoped to bring attention to the national shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers on the front lines caring for patients with COVID-19. We have communicated with healthcare workers across the country, and it is clear that supplies are already low or exhausted, and we are only at the tip of the iceberg. We also raise the concern that the CDC guidelines regarding PPE are based on availability and not on best practice. The recommendations state that, while we are in shortage, facemasks are acceptable, but that once the supply chain is restored, respirators should be used to care for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The progressive shortage and acceptance of subpar protection put our healthcare workers at significant risk of illness and our communities at risk for further spread of the virus. This is not only a San Diego issue, this is a national issue that needs prompt attention -- thus our call to action is to engage the federal government in urgently increasing the supply of critical PPE. Our government needs to rapidly deploy the Strategic National Stockpile and seek alternative sources to manufacture or import the protection we need. The sheer volume of signatures on our petition reflects the magnitude of healthcare workers' concern nationwide. -Milla J. Kviatkovsky, DO, MPH Faculty Physician mkviat@gmail.com +1 (858) 699 2820 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=d8ce919e02&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f%3A1661710942128197884&simpl=msg-f%3A1661710942128197884 1/1