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Health officials are increasingly concerned there will not be enough personal protective equipment available for health workers should the coronavirus infections become widespread in the U.S.

Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the national response to the coronavirus outbreak, on Thursday visited the Maplewood headquarters of 3M, which makes respiratory masks for health care workers. He thanked company leaders for going into full production of the masks that in some places are in short supply.

You are playing a vital role in the health of our nation, Pence said. He also reminded the public that: Unless you are ill, you have no need to buy a mask.

Cheryl Peterson-Kroeber, Minnesota Department of Health incident manager for COVID-19, the name of the disease caused by the virus, acknowledged that getting enough protective gear including masks, gowns and gloves could be a huge challenge if the virus becomes widespread.

Part of that is because consumers are wiping out the commercial supply of masks as well as soap and cleaning supplies. Many stores in the Twin Cities have empty shelves.

Theres a huge push trying to get people to be sensible with their purchasing and stockpiling, Peterson-Kroeber said.

She added that currently, the Department of Health was not aware of any serious shortage yet at hospitals and clinics. We have not heard of people having to change their standard of care at this time, she said.

The masks health care providers need are called N-95 respirators because they block 95 percent of small particles. They are designed to fit tightly around the nose and mouth but are not 100 percent effective.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend these masks for the general public. They can be tricky to wear properly, be difficult for people with breathing problems and are not designed for children or people with facial hair.

Masks can help stop the spread of the coronavirus if they are properly worn by a person who is infected or someone who is caring for them.

Minnesota does not have a stockpile of protective medical equipment. Leftovers from the swine flu outbreak expired and were discarded years ago, Peterson-Kroeber said.

But some local public health groups may have leftover protective equipment and the Food and Drug Administration is considering extending shelflife rules so older supplies can be used as long as they are safe, Peterson-Kroeber said.

The U.S. does have a National Strategic Stockpile of protective gear and medicines in a secret location outside Washington, D.C. It is unclear whether that equipment will be used to fight the coronavirus.

As of Thursday afternoon, there had been more than 200 reported cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths in the U.S. Worldwide, more than 98,000 have been sickened and 3,356 have died.

This story includes information from the Associated Press and a pool report from Pences visit.

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Why was VP Pence in Maplewood? 3M makes the masks health workers need to be safe from the coronavirus - St. Paul Pioneer Press