Materials makers Covestro AG and DuPont Co. have donated medical supplies in China to help stop the spread of Coronavirus, even as both firms have reduced production of plastics and other materials because of the outbreak.
Covestro, which is based in Leverkusen, Germany, has donated 100,000 pairs of goggles made of the firm's polycarbonate resins to hospitals in Wuhan and surrounding areas for use in epidemic prevention, a company spokesperson said in an email to Plastics News.
The firm also has donated 1,200 sets of neck and waist pillows for medical workers at a hospital in Hubei province.
DuPont, which is based in Wilmington, Del., has donated three types of personal protective garments to the most affected areas through the China Red Cross Foundation, to protect health care workers and front-line personnel, a spokesman said.
"Working through our local distribution network, we have supplied large quantities of protective garments, including Tyvek and Tychem suits, to all parts of China including the most affected places such as Hubei province, Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu province, Shandong province and Zhejiang province," he added.
DuPont also has contributed probiotic products to help regulate and improve immunity. These donated materials have been allocated by the China Red Cross Foundation to the most needed areas, the spokesman added.
Covestro's production in China is continuing, the spokesperson said, but the firm has reduced production volume to accommodate the impact from travel and transportation restrictions, and all planned business trips to and within China are suspended indefinitely. The firm also "is actively working to ensure the continuity of our business in order to minimize any potential disruptions to customers around the world," the spokesperson added.