Abstract
While there have been shortages of all types of PPE, of particular importance are filtering facepiece (FFP) respirators, which filter inhaled air and are used to protect healthcare workers directly caring for COVID-19 patients. Various FFP respirators exist, such as the N95, KN95, and FFP2 models. We refer to all as respirators, unless specific make is relevant. This report aims to provide insight into health policy responses to respirator shortages in South America during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on quality regulation and extended use, reuse, and decontamination policies in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, which were chosen for inclusion based on existing institutional collaborations.
Highlights
Latin America has been disproportionately affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
As of September 2020, seven of the twenty countries with the most COVID-19 deaths were in Latin America, with Brazil having the second-highest number of deaths behind the United States
While there have been shortages of all types of protective equipment (PPE), of particular importance are filtering facepiece (FFP) respirators, which filter inhaled air and are used to protect healthcare workers directly caring for COVID-19 patients 4
Summary
Latin America has been disproportionately affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of September 2020, seven of the twenty countries with the most COVID-19 deaths were in Latin America, with Brazil having the second-highest number of deaths behind the United States Latin America has been vulnerable to COVID-19 due to income inequality 1 and underequipped public health systems [2,3]. While there have been shortages of all types of PPE, of particular importance are filtering facepiece (FFP) respirators, which filter inhaled air and are used to protect healthcare workers directly caring for COVID-19 patients 4. This report aims to provide insight into health policy responses to respirator shortages in South America during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on quality regulation and extended use, reuse, and decontamination policies in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru (Table 1), which were chosen for inclusion based on existing institutional collaborations
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