We have been hearing the acronym “PPE” fairly a lot recently in relation to the novel coronavirus outbreak. But why is it the talk of the town and what makes it so important?
PPE is a short form for Personal Protective Equipment. It is one of essentials needed to minimize the spread of coronavirus.
It is what keeps the healthcare workers including doctors, nurses and caregivers, safe while they battle on the frontlines to save us from this pandemic. PPEs are any kind of equipment used that stops the transmission of disease from one person to another.
PPE kits consist of a huge overall suit, an apron, nitrile gloves, a hood cap, a face mask and shoe leggings. These are important tools used to avoid any kind of contact with the patient who suffers from covid-19.
Nitrile gloves are used because they are waterproof, greaseproof as well as oil proof to ensure that the skin does not come in contact with anything during medical procedures.
Even though this equipment may not guarantee that you are 100% safe, what is worse is that there is shortage of these kits globally.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the current global stockpile of PPE is not sufficient at all, particularly for medical masks and respirators.
One of the main reasons for this global shortage is also panic and bulk buying. People buy surgical masks and gloves in huge volume, not even knowing if they even need it. It is crucial to note that personal protective equipment cannot be shared because well, it’s meant to be for personal use.
It is also not advised to reuse it after a period of time. Hence, to fight something as deadly as the coronavirus that has a crazy infectious rate, if we fall short of PPEs, we’ll lose our only option to curb the spread of this virus.
Therefore, it is very important to only buy what we require, instead of stocking up on them.
