The outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic has resulted in an enormous shortage of hand sanitizers, face masks, face shields, PPE kits and other important articles required to keep us protected from the deadly virus. Though non surgical gowns are being manufactured by several companies for general use but their production is not a usual affair. As per studies, protective gowns are exempted for pre reviewing and are intended to protect its wearers from the transfer of any harmful micro organisms and body fluids during the case of low or minimal risk situations. It is imperative to note that the protective gowns are intended to stop the transmission which is related to blood and that are not air-borne that is one of the highest factor of corona virus.
Top Protective Gowns to be used against COVID – 19
- Disposable Isolation gowns – AAMI – Level 2 – SMS material – pack of 10
- Isolation gowns – available in two colours – Turquoise and yellow- reusable cotton/ poly mix – free shipping – FDA level 2
- Isolation gown – surgical blue – reusable – FDA level 2
- Lab Coat – white reusable
- Tyvek – 400 suits DU Point box of 25 suits
Disposable gowns are most commonly made of nonwoven materials such as: polypropylene, polyester or polyethylene.
Rather than sewn, the garments are typically assembled using thermal, chemical, or mechanical seaming. A number of companies are gearing up for the temporary effort of making these garments to augment the short supply. It helps if a company is directly involved in manufacturing and at least peripherally involved in producing biologically oriented products.
A lot of instructions appear on the internet for developing disposable isolation gowns using Tyvek® and double-sided tape. Tyvek® is generally used for sterilizable medical device packaging. These gowns appear as if they could be cut and taped together quite quickly.
Although it is quite understandable that masks have been in shortage due to the huge increase in use among the general public, the same reason though does not apply to the isolation gowns, which are used only by the professionals. According to recent studies, some manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been allocated these items for their existing customers based on their previous use and not on the projected demand. Shortage in supply may occur at the hospitals and other facilities where new cases of Covid 19 might have increased beyond normal anticipated projections.
Some of these protective gowns that remain in stock are being donated as they are non-sterile, non-surgical isolation gowns to help the increase in supply.
Studies also emphasize that protective gowns are used to protect the frontline workers from extracting the transmissible diseases from the patients and necessarily not only to prevent the spread of disease amongst other patients who are already isolated with other infected patients. Thus, it is recommended that extending the use of protective gowns in facilities where supplies are running low and increasing the use of washable garments where it is possible.
The WHO distinguishes four different levels of risk:
- Standard precautions to be taken. e.g. the mandatory hand hygiene and it requires any patient with suspected COVID-19 infection to wear a facemask;
- Contact and droplet precautions for suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 not involving hand hygiene, surgical masks, gown, goggles, gloves;
- ‘Airborne precautions’ for suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 requiring hand hygiene, respirator mask, gown, goggles, gloves
- Collecting specimens for laboratory diagnosis requires hand hygiene, respirator mask, gown, goggles, gloves plus additional precautions.
Conclusion
This article can be used to provide you information about the different types of protective gowns used by medical personal and referenced examples of manufacturers that are targeting to produce non-surgical isolation gowns. Some examples of best protective gowns available on our website are also mentioned in this article.
