CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – The COVID-19 lockdown in China is affecting supply chains, including tools for hospitals.

UVA Health says it is experiencing a shortage of the imaging tool, IV Contrast.

“This is due to a manufacturing shutdown in China that’s related to the COVID-related lockdown in the country. So it’s a ripple effect, sort of nationwide and, and worldwide, actually,” University of Virginia Medical Center CEO Wendy Horton said Thursday, May 5.

IV Contrast is used for a lot of things around the hospital: “This is important because it improves our ability to really look at different blood vessels and organs and tissues within various imaging procedures,” Horton explained. “We’re really concerned to make sure that we have availability for life-saving procedures. So what this means for our community is that non-critical imaging needs are being redirected and postponed.”

UVA Health says it may have to wait until July before things get back to normal.

“If it’s sooner, we would love that, but we just know that to get ramped back up nationwide it’s going to take some time,” Horton said.

UVA says it is working on how to manage as the shortage continues: “We are absolutely making plans of, you know, how we will prioritize patients. And that includes life-saving procedures and making sure that we tried to use that this very scarce resource and the most important way that we can to save lives,” Horton said.

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