Local Organization Sending Supplies To China To Help Combat Coronavirus Outbreak
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A local organization is aiding Chinese cities trying to contain the coronavirus.
Brother's Brother Foundation is preparing to send resources from their North Side facility to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
Wuhan is also one of Pittsburgh's sister cities.
Wednesday's latest numbers show at least 170 people have died of the virus. All of the victims in China, according to CBS News. About 7,700 people have been sickened around the world, including five cases in the United States.
The Allegheny County Health Department said there are no cases of the illness in Pennsylvania or Allegheny County.
Brother's Brother Foundation's Sarah Boal said the outbreak hits close to home for some in Pittsburgh.
"We have a lot of people from China in Pittsburgh," Boal said. "We actually are one of the cities with the most international students in our university systems, and so there are a lot of touchpoints."
That's how Brother's Brother first came into contact with organizations in China.
The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center initially approached Boal and her organization.
"They have friends and colleagues that they work with in China," Boal said. "They said, 'We know that Brother's Brother helps in these kinds of situations, can you help us with this effort?'"
The shipment will primarily contain medical masks and hazmat suits.
"Those are the pieces that they're asking for," Boal said. "The Chinese government has reached out, Chinese NGO's or non-profits have reached out and said, 'This is what we need to try and contain this because these aren't items that you use every day.'"
The items will likely be shipped out within the next few weeks through different methods.
Boal said even commercial airlines have offered to help with some of the shipping in their excess cargo space.
"We had long conversations today about making sure that we got things moving as fast as we can," she said on Wednesday.
Anyone with items to donate should contact Brother's Brother directly, but the fastest way to make an impact is through a monetary donation.
