Hospitals are airlifting supplies from other countries in attempts to make up for severe shortages in the U.S. amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaiser Health News reported.
Last week, the U.S. military flew 80,000 swabs to use for diagnostic testing out of an airbase in Italy.
Twelve hospitals in New York City are working with Dealmed, a medical products supplier, to fly in shipments of supplies from China. Michael Einhorn, president of Dealmed, told Kaiser Health News the company is paying up to $40,000 per shipment for supplies from Shanghai and is sometimes losing money because of high shipping costs.
Medline, a Northfield, Ill., based medical supply company, has started delivering face masks to clients by airplane. A company spokesperson told Kaiser Health News hospitals can't wait long enough for shipments by cargo boat and that using planes will shorten time supplies can get to hospitals by three to four weeks, though planes can hold about 10 times less than a boat.
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