Coronavirus: Lawrence General Seeking Donations, Including PPE

LAWRENCE, MA — Lawrence General Hospital is accepting donations, including personal protective equipment, the hospital said Monday. The hospital is facing a potential shortage of medical supplies and is searching out, buying, and accepting donations. Residents can donate equipment including N95 masks, wipes and even sewn masks.

The hospital is seeking the following equipment:

• "N95 MASKS: NIOSH approved on the box is a top priority, we will accept all masks which are new and in packaging. (dentists, veterinarians, tattoo parlors, construction and industrial companies, nail and beauty salons)
• GLOVES: Surgical type, non-sterile exam gloves, no winter/seasonal gloves please (dentists and veterinarians)
• Gowns for clinicians
• Tyvek suits and ‘bunny suits’: (construction and industrial companies)
• Sewn masks: Example of pattern may be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgHrnS6n4iA
• Plastic face shields: (painters and construction companies)
• Safety glasses and safety goggles
• Purple top disinfectant wipes (not for use on skin): (dentists and veterinarians)
• Wipes with bleach
• Hand sanitizer"

Details on the donations the hospital is seeking are available here.

Donations should be brought to the North Andover Fire Department, 795 Chickering Rd, North Andover MA. The fire department will deliver the equipment. Donors are asked to fill out this donation form to bring with their items.

You can also give money to the hospital's Annual Fund, here.

The hospital is not accepting donations of food, blankets, clothes, toys or books and magazines. Residents who would like to support staff can donate gift cards.

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.