Gaming company Razer is converting some of its manufacturing lines to make face masks and aid in the coronavirus fight.
Razer making face masks to aid coronavirus fight
Company CEO Min-Liang Tan took to Twitter to announce Razer’s role in the coronavirus effort. “Over the past few days, our designers and engineers have been working 24-hour shifts to convert some of our existing manufacturing lines to produce surgical masks so that we can donate them to countries around the world,” Min-Liang said in his sizable thread.
Min-Liang says that Razer is donating its phone production lines. Additionally, the company intends to produce 1 million face masks to donate to the coronavirus fight in China, where the COVID-19 disease is most lethal. The disease itself started in the Hubei province of Wuhan, China, back in December. China is the largest victim of the coronavirus pandemic, with more deaths there than anywhere else (including South Korea and Italy).
Razer just made a 5G router that doubles as a wireless hotspot for gamers, so it’s no stranger to making products outside of phones when it has to.
Face masks are in short supply
Razer’s efforts are commendable in light of the current face mask supply shortage. Photos from China of citizens wearing face masks are all across the globe. Medical experts are discouraging TV watchers on local news shows from buying them. Doctors want citizens to leave face masks for medical personnel and those who are sick.
Face masks are important as doctors and nurses use them when performing medical procedures on or with patients. In the event of a major shortage or outage, doctors and nurses can’t protect themselves against coronavirus.
Face masks are a good idea for those who think they might have COVID-19. Alongside a mask shortage, there are also few coronavirus testing supplies in the US. The latest count from the presidential cabinet yesterday is that 1300 people have been tested for coronavirus. With such a huge upswing of coronavirus infections in Washington state, for example, there’s simply no way to tell how many individuals are sick with COVID-19.
The Razer CEO says that Razer intends to service face masks not only in China, but also in other countries where Razer offices are. “This emergency conversion of some of our lines and donation of masks is the first step of many that @Razer will take,” Min-Liang says, a sign that more contribution from Razer is expected in the coming days, weeks, and months.
Face masks and coronavirus
Face masks are one go-to source, alongside gloves, as means of personal protection for global citizens, but face masks cannot truly prevent infection. Doctors say that other activities, such as washing one’s hands and practicing generally good hygiene, are ways to stave off a coronavirus infection. Face masks are six times more expensive to acquire now than before the outbreak.
Gloves, like face masks, are also in short supply, as is hand sanitizer.
With little sign of the virus slowing down, US President Donald Trump is telling Americans to stay inside and socially distance themselves by self-quarantining at home, sick or not. To avoid potential infection, citizens should limit themselves to gatherings of 10 people or less.