As the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating at a great pace, the global health care systems are heavily impacted with potentially infectious patients from all over the world, seeking care, testing, and treatment. The demand for PPE has seen unparalleled growth in the past few months due to the Covid-19 pandemic and this curve will continue to grow for the next few years.
To prevent the spread of infection to others and health care workers, patients rely on the efficient use of personal protective equipment (PPE) that include: face masks, gloves, face shields, respirators, goggles, and gowns. Increasing cases and high utilization indicates a deficiency of PPE all over the world and there is a high demand for their development.
Most needed PPE to care for highly infectious patients was once available everywhere in the hospital environment but has now become a rare and valuable product in many places to treat the affected people. The increased demand for this requires a considerable amount of time for manufacturing which has become a challenge for many health care systems as they are short of time due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 patients.
The amount of PPE a healthcare department needs depends on its role. For this, a networked and comprehensive approach is required among the healthcare departments, in collaboration with healthcare officials to serve in different roles. There are cases in which a hospital may be prepared to serve in more than one role. Multiple platforms collect information about people or organizations that are interested in donating PPE, including type, quantity, etc. Some government datasets are also used to identify each organization's area, rural-urban status, and other data including central income and number of deaths from COVID-19 for the county. On the basis of this information, adequate amounts of PPE needed for the care of one person is examined. These findings and conclusions provide a picture of the large need for PPE among health-care organizations throughout the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts have called for contributions of existing PPE, increased production by manufacturers, and new invention strategies, like the 3D printing of masks. Although all types of PPE are in demand, commonly, the need for N95 respirators is the highest. Here, understanding how the common needs change over time is another key function to keep in mind.
Why is PPE important for the Healthcare Sector?
The medical community including doctors, nurses, and other medical staff are the frontline warriors and are at maximum risk of exposure to any viral infection, or bacterial hazards. So it is extremely essential for them to use the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment while treating or coming in close contact with any patient who has symptoms of this viral epidemic.
If used accurately, PPE serves as a barrier between the human body and the infectious viruses. They prevent them from infecting the skin, nose, mouth, or eyes. PPE also has a significant role in obstructing the transmission of contaminants through body fluids, blood, or respiratory secretions.
For every different situation, different PPE are used in the healthcare sector, for example, disposable workwear does not allow penetration of any chemical, or safety goggles are used for protection against different biological splashes in hospitals. So we should increase awareness of choosing the right PPE depending on a particular situation and also the proper training on how to wear different PPE.
Important Benefits:
- Protects the health care personnel by creating a barrier between them and infectious germs.
- Protects patients by preventing the spread of infection.
Conclusion
We are hopeful that the world will overcome this Pandemic with a joint effort from everyone, we shall never ignore and neglect the lessons that it has taught. For today's situation, personal safety demands and requirements are going to be the top priority for everyone around the world. Let's fight together and stay safe.
