What devices are considered personal protective equipment for COVID-19?

What devices are considered personal protective equipment for COVID-19?

This includes WHO Priority Medical Devices, specifically: surgical masks, non-surgical masks, gloves, goggles, face shields, gowns and N95 masks.

Should I purchase personal protective equipment such as facemasks or N95 respirators for me and my family?

No. Surgical masks and N95s need to be reserved for use by health care workers, first responders, and other frontline workers whose jobs put them at much greater risk of acquiring COVID-19. The cloth face coverings recommended by CDC are not surgical masks or N95 respirators. Surgical masks and N95s are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for health care workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by CDC.

Can 3D printing be used to make personal protective equipment (PPE)?

While it is possible to use 3D printing to make certain PPE, there are technical challenges that have to be overcome to be effective enough. For example, 3D-printed PPE may provide a physical barrier, but 3D-printed PPE are unlikely to provide the same fluid barrier and air filtration protection as FDA-cleared surgical masks and N95 respirators.

Do 3D-printed masks protect against the coronavirus disease as well as N95 respirators?

3D-printed masks may look like conventional PPE. However, they may not provide the same level of barrier protection, fluid resistance, filtration, and infection control.

How do I handle personal protective equipment (PPE) waste during the coronavirus pandemic?

Discard PPE into a trash can. Facility waste does not need disinfection.

Are nurses at greater risk for infectious diseases by airborne transmission?

Our findings suggest that the risk for infectious diseases by airborne transmission might be greater for nurses than for the general population because of nurses’ more frequent and more intensive professional contacts with potentially infected patients.

Are nurses at high risk for catching infections?

This can occur when someone with an infection coughs or sneezes or in the midst of some medical procedures such as intubation or suctioning. It is immediately apparent that nurses and other health care professionals would be among those at a high risk for catching infections in this way, unless precautions are taken.

What do we know about nurse working conditions and infectious disease?

Nurse working conditions are related to patients’ risk of healthcare-associated infections and occupational injuries and infections among staff ( 3 ). We discuss the nurse workforce, review research examining nursing as it relates to infectious disease, identify gaps in the literature, and discuss potential policy options.

What should I do if I am not sure about protective gear?

If a nurse is not sure about the proper protective gear, it would be a wise idea to consult a superior and the hospital’s policy manual. A manual will likely also help detail in what order protective equipment should be put on and the proper way to take it off and discard it.