NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A public interest group found nursing homes are competing for PPE more right now than at the start of the pandemic.
The U.S. PIRG, a federation of public interest research groups in this country, compiled this report after looking at data that was sent to the centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
Nursing homes are really low on N95 masks, surgical masks and gowns, according to the report, which blames the shortages on how competitive the PPE market is now.
It concluded that seven months into the pandemic, 20% of nursing homes in the U.S. lack the PPE needed. The report also found one in five facilities are dangerously low on one or more items and almost half didn't have a one-week supply of at least one type of PPE.
In the report, Tennessee is listed as worse-off than the national average when it comes to PPE available for nursing homes.
The shortages became noticeable in the summer as restaurant and businesses were reopening and buying up PPE and medical business resumed elective surgeries and in-person doctor's appointments.
