Tag: Shortages

Bees stab plants to make them flower

When pollen is scarce, bumblebees pierce the leaves of plants in order to force them to produce flowers more quickly, according to new research. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/bumblebees-stab-plants-to-make-them-flower…

Pandemic Brings Huge Spike In Demand For Plant-Based Meat Alternatives

Food safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, along with “changing consumer preferences,” are “contributing to a shift toward plant-based food options,” reports CNBC, citing alternative meat makers in Asia. The New York Times shares some specifics, including statistics from Nielsen showing that from April 12 to May 9, demand for uncooked vegan products jumped 53%.
To meet the demand, Impossible Foods has…

As Raspberry Pi Sales Skyrocket, Eben Upton Applauds Efforts of Open Hardware Community

“Sales of Raspberry Pi’s single-board computers hit 640,000 in March, the second-biggest month for sales since they started selling,” reports TechRepublic, “as consumers flocked to inexpensive ways to work and learn from home.”
But that’s not all, Eben Upton tells them:
With the pandemic having highlighted shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE), 3D-printing manufacturers and hobbyists have been building face shields printed on…

‘No Clear Evidence’ Hydroxychloroquine Works Against COVID-19

This week the Washington Post asked their “business of health care” reporter to explain the true status in the scientific community of hydroxychloroquine, an already-approved malaria drug also used to control inflammation in lupus and rheumatoid arthritis patients. “There is no clear evidence that the drugs work against the coronavirus,” he writes, “despite their use by hospitals and doctors in the…

C.D.C. Weighs Advising Everyone To Wear a Mask

Widespread use of nonmedical masks could reduce community transmission. But recommending their broad use could also cause a run on the kind of masks that health care workers desperately need. From a report: Should healthy people be wearing masks when they’re outside to protect themselves and others? Both the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have…

America’s FDA Eases Restrictions on Mask-Sterilizing Technology Amid Coronavirus Shortages

USA Today reports:
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Sunday afternoon said federal officials have promised to ease restrictions on a technology to clean and reuse the masks deemed the safest for healthcare workers and first responders in the coronavirus outbreak…. Officials are scrambling for the N95 masks and other protective equipment for health care workers as the number of COVID-19 cases is expected…

Hospitals Turn To Crowdsourcing and 3D Printing Amid Equipment Shortages

With medical supplies strained by the coronavirus outbreak, health care professionals and technologists are coming together online to crowdsource repairs and supplies of critical hospital equipment. From a report: Doctors, hospital technicians and 3D-printing specialists are also using Google Docs, WhatsApp groups and online databases to trade tips for building, fixing and modifying machines like ventilators to help treat the rising…

More essential coronavirus links: March 17-23

A roundup of information from physicians, scientists and journalists. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/more-essential-coronavirus-links-march-17-23…

Gaming Peripheral Company Razer Shifts Some Production To Surgical Masks

Razer CEO Ming-Liang Tan announced on Thursday that the company will shift a number of its manufacturing lines from producing its own products to making surgical masks. Polygon reports: As COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, continues to spread around the world, healthcare officials are reporting shortages of essential resources, including surgical masks. Tan said Razer intends donate up…