DETROIT - The volunteer nurses screening people at Detroit's drive-thru testing site are running low on personal protection equipment and need money to purchase more.
With the goal of screening 1,000 people every day, the front-line volunteers are among the workers most at risk for exposure.
"They're walking up to the car, swabbing mouths and putting themselves in danger," said Lue Banks, who set up a Gofundme to help the workers.
While hospitals are some of the first places that PPE gets diverted to, they're far from the only locations where resources are needed. Due to the skyrocketing demand for N95 masks, face shields, lab coats, and nitrile gloves, the amount of leftover supplies has run dangerously low.
Because of the threat of possible exposure, health care workers have cycled through their equipment quickly as to avoid possibly infecting patients who are healthy.
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"We need something to inspire and let them know that we're here and thinking about them," said Banks who confirmed as long as donations were coming in, her nonprofit My Safe Haven will continue purchasing PPE and keep the lunch program running for the volunteers.
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Since then, more than 1,000 nitrile gloves were donated to the workers at Joe Dumars Fieldhouse by a generous donor.
Detroit's drive-thru testing was established with the aim of rapid-fire screening that reduced the chance of COVID-19 exposure. Taking place at Joe Dumars Field House off of State Fair Avenue, the city wanted to test 400 people a day. However, testing has been much more successful.