Abstract
The supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) is inadequate throughout the United States and the world. This is especially true of N95 respirators. The cost of PPE is high. There are numerous cases of providers working with inadequate PPE and being disciplined on complaining. In the United States, thousands of providers have contracted COVID-19, in part due to inadequate PPE. Extended use and reuse of N95 respirators has been permitted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The N95 respirators can be sterilized utilizing vaporized hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, or dry heat at 70°C-80°C.The risk to providers due to inadequate PPE increases with their age and presence of comorbidities. African-Americans and Latinos are at a greater risk. CDC recommends that in the absence of appropriate PPE, “exclude healthcare personnel at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 from contact with known or suspected COVID-19 patients.” Providing care without appropriate PPE should not be a condition of employment for any provider, especially for the ones in high-risk category.
Highlights
Utilizing appropriate protective equipment (PPE) is the key to safely providing care for COVID-19 patients
There is a worldwide shortage of PPE
Providers are at increased risk and thousands of providers in the United States have been infected with COVID-19
Summary
Providers caring for COVID-19 patients or persons under investigation are at increased risk of contracting the illness. The supply of PPE is inadequate throughout the United States and the rest of the world [8,9,10,11] This is especially true of N95 respirators for providers and even of surgical masks to be utilized by everyone. Providers should carefully follow standard precautions including utilization of appropriate PPE at work and washing hands as indicated On arriving home they may change clothes. CDC recommends that in the absence of appropriate PPE, “exclude healthcare personnel at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 from contact with known or suspected COVID-19 patients [39].”. In Germany and other locations, many patients are cared for at home with remote monitoring and regular visits from providers
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