Right now, Americans can purchase nearly limitless quantities of masks, hand sanitizer, and other personal protective equipment. Amazon even sells N95 respirators -- the mask preferred by doctors and nurses working in intensive care units full of Covid-19 patients -- for less than $1.

But this time last year, it was an entirely different story. Personal protective equipment was so scarce that people started calling hand sanitizer liquid gold. Even hospitals and doctor's offices were running out of PPE -- giving workers no choice but to reuse the same masks and protective gowns day after day. The shortages almost certainly cost some healthcare workers their lives.

source: https://www.ibtimes.com/why-we-cant-wait-next-pandemic-better-ppe-plan-3206084