PPE Shortages Are Threatening the Lives of Providers; What Can You Do?

One thing that has become painfully clear as the COVID-19 pandemic continues is the fact that healthcare facilities are understocked on personal protective equipment. Of especially critical importance are reports that there are not enough N95 filtering facepiece respirators—the only type currently rated to protect the wearer from coronavirus—to meet current and growing needs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an advisory on maximizing the life of each unit. Among the tips offered in Recommended Guidance for Extended Use and Limited Reuse of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators in Healthcare Settings are to minimize the number of clinicians who need to use respiratory protection, and to reserve use of N95 respirators for situations when they’re essential. More details on these and other possibly lifesaving tips are available on the CDC website.