Coronavirus is the latest test for the Strategic National Stockpile, a secret stash of medical supplies the government keeps for emergencies
But as the worst-hit state, the need has continued to grow. And this week, Washington submitted another request for additional materials.
The Strategic National Stockpile was established in 1999, initially to respond to potential bioterrorism attacks. Since then, its mission has expanded to other emergencies, and it has deployed pharmaceuticals and medical supplies after the 2001 World Trade Center and Anthrax attacks, 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, and 2017’s Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, among other crises.
HHS estimates the U.S. could need up to 3.5 billion N95 respirator masks, the mask that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends health care workers use when treating patients with the coronavirus, over a year in a pandemic. But the stockpile currently holds approximately 12 million N95 respirator masks and 30 million surgical face masks, HHS officials say.
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