Respirators need to be redesigned to fit everyone well, Saralyn Mark, MD, wrote for The Hill Feb. 16.

The demand for masks has slowed as the COVID-19 pandemic eases, leading manufacturer 3M to see a likely reduction in growth by 2 percentage points this year, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

China's 'zero-COVID-19' policy, which institutes strict lockdowns in the face of local outbreaks, could lead to global supply chain disruptions, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

Some states have begun distributing free at-home COVID-19 tests to residents. 

Standardization helps hospitals and health systems reduce costs and improve clinical outcomes, while also building a robust supply chain with predetermined product alternatives that can withstand disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal data suggests at-home COVID-19 antiviral pills aren't turning out to be the highly demanded game changers health experts anticipated, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported Feb. 11. 

Policy makers are now assessing pandemic experiences from the healthcare supply chain, and seeking insights on how to harden the pipeline of essential medical products against unpredictable disruptions and unanticipated demands common to a Covid scale epidemic.

KF94 masks are high-quality masks made in South Korea that are often described as being more comfortable than typical respirators, The New York Times reported Feb. 10. 

Lawmakers are calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to halt implementation of a $2.2 billion supply chain management system across its healthcare facilities, Federal News Network reported Feb. 9. 

Here are three recent stories on personal protective equipment fraud reported by Becker's since Feb. 4: 

Global supply chain issues likely won't clear up anytime in the near future, the CEO of the world's largest shipping container company told CNN Business Feb. 9.

An investigative audit found the Oklahoma State Department of Health invested more than $5.4 million in personal protective equipment and other supplies early on in the pandemic that the state has no record of receiving, News on 6 reported Feb. 9. 

Ten health systems or healthcare companies have posted job listings for supply chain expertise in the last week:

Since 2020, healthcare supply chain leaders have been operating in crisis mode due to COVID-19, talent management challenges and more. 

Some ventilators from Imtmedical, a subsidiary of Vyaire Medical, have unintentionally stopped ventilation during use and require rebooting to resume ventilation because of a software issue, according to a Feb. 4 news release from the FDA. 

Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente has selected Michael Ortiz to serve as director of supply management for its Hawaii market, Maui Business reported Feb. 7. 

The American Red Cross declared the first-ever national blood crisis on Jan. 11. 

Illegally imported at-home COVID-19 test kits were recalled in the U.S. on Feb. 4, according to a recall notice from the FDA.

Seventeen organizations have joined the Alliance for a Strong Blood Supply, a coalition focused on strengthening the nation's blood supply through advocacy campaigns. 

Two national associations urged Congress in a Jan. 31 letter to assist in eradicating personal protective equipment fraud that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.