— As the coronavirus outbreak puts more stress on hospitals nationwide, major Triangle hospital systems have asked for donations of medical supplies, especially personal protective equipment, or PPE, for health care providers.

The biggest needs include N95 masks, surgical masks (with and without shields), disposable gloves, disposable shoe covers, eye protection and handmade masks. Other needs include nasal swabs, disinfectant, hand sanitizer with more than 60 percent alcohol and hand soap.

The pandemic is “putting a strain on the whole system that’s never been felt before,” said Dr. Chris DeRienzo, chief medical officer at WakeMed.

There are more than 300 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, in North Carolina.

"We are concerned about the long-term integrity of the supply chain across the United States," Katie Galbraith, president of Duke Regional Hospital, said Monday.

The Durham hospital, for example, is using about 600,000 masks that loop around the ears every month, up from about 350,000 a month in December, Galbraith said.

"We’re seeing an increase in our usage of those masks and other supplies. If you take that across the U.S., you begin to see where we want to make sure that the supply chain in the U.S. can keep up with that," she said.

Dr. William Fulkerson, executive vice president of Duke University Health System, and Dr. Mary Klotman, dean of Duke's medical school, have written to President Donald Trump. imploring him to use the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of masks, ventilators and other needed supplies.

"Please use the powers of the Defense Production Act now to mass produce and coordinate distribution of these critical supplies before the need worsens and the shortages become even more dire. Our frontline workers and patients are depending on your leadership," they said in the March 20 letter.

DeRienzo said it’s difficult for suppliers to keep up with demand.

“Much of the equipment is made in different countries around the world that are also being hit by this global pandemic,” he said.

"We literally have one N95 mask that we’re passing around, which is a travesty," said Dr. C. Nicole Swiner, one of five physicians at Durham Family Medicine.

"We’re at the front lines for our patients that don't want to have to go into the emergency room or urgent care. We’re the first ones that they call, or they just show up at the office looking for help," Swiner said. "It's definitely important for all doctors to have access to PPE, but particularly those who are the first point of contact for many of these families, which are generally primary care physicians."

Galbraith said some construction companies have already reached out to donate masks. UNC Health spokesman Alan Wolfe said North Carolina State University dropped off a truckload of supplies, and Habitat for Humanity, Epic Games and other groups have provided N95 masks and other supplies.

Dr. Brett Wells of Wells Family Dental Group and Downtown Dental in Raleigh, donated an SUV full of supplies, while the Carolinas Chinese American Civic Center, along with other groups, raised more than $30,000 to donate N95 masks to UNC.

Homemade masks accepted

UNC Health spokeswoman Kerry Heckle said hospitals will accept handmade masks.

“While they may not be medical grade, should it come to it, we’d like to have them on hand,” she said.

Deaconess Hospital, in Indiana, has online instructions to make facemasks.

JoAnn Fabrics at 1800 Skibo Road in Fayetteville, is donating fabric and providing instructions to make cloth masks, according to Cape Fear Valley Health System.

Medical workers try to conserve supplies

Other needs include disinfectant and hand sanitizer that contain at least 60% alcohol.

Health care providers are working to conserve what they can.

“We look at exactly how much of each kind of equipment that we have right now, how long we project it will last, and then we work through what’s our second backup and our third backup,” DeRienzo said.

Day One Disaster Relief, which was formed in the wake of Hurricane Florence, is coordinating some efforts to get gear to the hospitals.

"We’ve been giving masks, N95 masks and PPE to ER doctors across the Triangle. We are working with a team of local engineers and designers and doctors across the country to create rapidly-sourced ventilators," Day One director Jil Christensen said.

The group has already donated more than 400 masks to local emergency room doctors.

"We’re responding to ER docs needing PPE and masks because they are the front lines," Christensen said. "We work with under-resourced communities. Well, guess what? They are the under-resourced community. They are the people who are going to get the surge, and they need not to go down in the next 10 days."

How to donate

Supplies can be dropped off at four UNC Health locations:

UNC Health Learning Street, 2001 Carrington Mill Blvd., Morrisville

March 23: Noon – 4 p.m.

March 24-27; 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont, 100 Sprunt St., Chapel Hill

March 23-, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

UNC Wellness Center at Northwest Cary, 350 Stonecroft Lane, Cary

March 23-28, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Rex Wellness Center of Raleigh, 4200 Lake Boone Trail

March 23-27, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Supplies for Duke Health can be dropped off at 100 Golden Drive, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

People can email WakeMed at info@wakemed.org to inform them what items they have. Due to high volume, all individuals and organizations that email will be contacted within 24 to 48 hours regarding the items and the process for making the donation.

Anyone providing donations to Cape Fear Valley Health is asked to call 910-615-1285 to schedule a drop-off at the Medical Arts Building, 101 Robeson St. in Fayetteville.