In today's health headlines we talk about how 3D printers are being able to make nasal swabs for medical facilities and can help combat the shortages.
SOME DOCTORS... FINDING PROMISEIN THREE-D PRINTERS.... AS THEYFACE MASSIVEEQUIPMENT SHORTAGES DURING THEPANDEMIC.
FOX NEWS' ROBERTSHERMAN SHOWS US... HOW THEY'REBEING USED TO MAKE NASALSWABS.FRESH OUT OF A 3D PRINTER COMESHUNDREDS OF NEW NASAL SWABS.DESIGNED BY DOCTORS AT THEUNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA ANDNORTHWELL HEALTH, ALONGSIDE THECOMPANY FORMLABS...THE HOPE IS THAT THISADVANCEMENT CAN HELP COMBAT THECORONAVIRUS TESTING KITSHORTAGE.DECKER SAYS: "IT'S LIKE WE WERESENT TO WAR HERE IN HEALTH CAREAND WE WERE NOT GIVEN BULLETSANDOUR LAB IS PROVIDING THEBULLETS."MEDICAL FACILITIES AROUND THECOUNTRY ARE INUNDATED WITH THEDEMAND FOR COVID-19TESTING.THIS TESTING CENTER IN FLORIDAHAS HAD TO TURN PEOPLE AWAYBECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGHSUPPLIES.TYPICALLY, THEY HAVE LESS THAN AHUNDRED NASAL SWABS ON HAND.IT TEARS APART FOUNDCARE CEOYOLETTE BONNETBONNET SAYS: "SOMETIMES I HAVETO LAUGH TO STOP FROM CRYING.
WEFEEL POWERLESS."LOCKWOOD SAYS: "THE SWAB IS INSHORT SUPPLY ACROSS THE UNITEDSTATES PRIMARILY BECAUSE ONE OFTHE CHIEF MANUFACTURERS OF THESWAB IS LOCATED IN NORTHERNITALY."WHICH IS WHY THE DESIGNERS CLAIMTHE 3D PRINTED SWABS CAN MAKE ADIFFERENCE.INSTEAD OF HAVING TO RELY ONINTERNATIONAL SUPPLY CHAINS...ANY HOSPITAL WITH A 3D PRINTERCAN HAVE THE DESIGN, MANUFACTURETHEIR OWN SWABS INHOUSE, AND GET THEM TO THEFRONT-LINES.USF SAYS THEY CAN CRANK OUTFIFTEEN THOUSAND A WEEK BYTHEMSELVES AND THE CLINICALTRIALS ATNORTHWELL HAVE BEEN PROMISING.GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "WE'VE SEEN THATTHE DATA LINES UP WHERE THEINFORMATION COLLECTED FROM THE3DPRINTED SWAB IS THE SAME AS THEINFORMATION COLLECTED BY THECOMMERCIALLY AVAILABLESWAB."BONNET BELIEVES THIS COULD MAKEA DIFFERENCE.BONNET SAYS: "I THINK IT WOULDBE A GAME CHANGER FOR THECOMMUNITY, EVERY EVERY LITTLEBIT HELPS."THE FDA SAYS THEY ARE BEINGFLEXIBLE IN ALLOWING CORONAVIRUSTESTING TOOLS TO BE DEVELOPED...THAT'S WHY THE UNIVERSITY OFSOUTH FLORIDA BELIEVES THESESWABS COULD BE READY IN A MATTEROF DAYS.
IN ORLANDO, ROBERTSHERMAN, FOX NEW
Several local hospitals can begin planned surgeries starting Monday. These procedures were placed on hold as COVID-19 cases began..
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