Hospitals worry about shortage of face masks

CLEVELAND (AP) — Ohio hospitals want state and federal officials to ease a recommendation that health-care workers wear tight- fitting face masks when treating patients with confirmed or suspected cases of swine flu.

Ohio Hospital Association spokeswoman Tiffany Himmelreich said Tuesday that suppliers of the N95 masks have struggled to meet demand since the recommendations were made and that overuse could mean the masks are unavailable when critically needed.

The association also argues that there’s not enough evidence that flu is spread through the air.

Ohio Department of Health spokesman Kristopher Weiss says the state will continue to follow the guidelines, issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The hospital association says requests to relax recommendations have been made in several states.