Coronavirus: Illinois Hospital Group Calls For Mask Donations

CHICAGO — Dentists, veterinarians and construction workers, donate your face masks and respirators. That's the plea the Illinois Health and Hospital Association made Thursday to help the state's 200 hospitals stay ahead of the threat of mask shortages amid the new coronavirus crisis.

“Hospitals all over the state are in jeopardy of potentially running out of critically needed protective medical supplies,” IHHSA President A.J. Wilhelmi said. “With continuing uncertainties about global and U.S. supplies of face masks, we urgently need to find alternative supplies, no matter where they are, so our hospitals can continue to provide life-saving care to current and future COVID-19 patients.”

Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence called on construction companies to donate N95 respirators, which are able to block at least 95 percent of 0.3 micron particles.

Wilhelmi, in a statement, took that a step further.

"We would make one specific request, and that is we would urge construction companies to donate their inventory of N95 masks to your local hospital and forgo additional orders of those industrial masks. Because ... those industrial masks that they use on construction sites are perfectly acceptable for health care workers to be protected from a respiratory disease," he said.

"In addition, there may be available N95 masks from dental offices or other health care facilities that have been temporarily shuttered because of the COVID-19 crisis. On behalf of more than 200 hospitals and health systems across Illinois, I ask you to donate N95s to your local hospitals. We greatly appreciate any help you can provide to protect health care workers as they provide life-saving care to patients during this crisis."

On Friday, President Donald Trump said that the federal government will be sending millions of masks to states.