tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Clin Med (Lond). 2020 May 1. pii: clinmed.2020-0143. doi: 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0143. [Epub ahead of print]
Evaluating the national PPE guidance for NHS healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thomas JP[SUP]1[/SUP], Srinivasan A[SUP]2[/SUP], Wickramarachchi CS[SUP]3[/SUP], Dhesi PK[SUP]4[/SUP], **** YM[SUP]4[/SUP], Kamath AV[SUP]4[/SUP].
Author information
Abstract
Tragically, many of the infections and deaths recorded in the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have occurred in healthcare workers. Some have attributed this to inadequate provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). In the UK, several organisations have voiced their concerns that the national PPE guidance issued by Public Health England is inadequate. Despite recent revisions to these guidelines, concerns remain that they offer insufficient protection to frontline NHS healthcare workers. In this report, we evaluate whether these concerns are merited, through critical appraisal of the available evidence, review of international PPE guidance, and consideration of the ethical implications.
? Royal College of Physicians 2020. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19; NHS; SARS-CoV-2; pandemic; personal protective equipment
PMID:32357976DOI:10.7861/clinmed.2020-0143
Evaluating the national PPE guidance for NHS healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thomas JP[SUP]1[/SUP], Srinivasan A[SUP]2[/SUP], Wickramarachchi CS[SUP]3[/SUP], Dhesi PK[SUP]4[/SUP], **** YM[SUP]4[/SUP], Kamath AV[SUP]4[/SUP].
Author information
Abstract
Tragically, many of the infections and deaths recorded in the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have occurred in healthcare workers. Some have attributed this to inadequate provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). In the UK, several organisations have voiced their concerns that the national PPE guidance issued by Public Health England is inadequate. Despite recent revisions to these guidelines, concerns remain that they offer insufficient protection to frontline NHS healthcare workers. In this report, we evaluate whether these concerns are merited, through critical appraisal of the available evidence, review of international PPE guidance, and consideration of the ethical implications.
? Royal College of Physicians 2020. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19; NHS; SARS-CoV-2; pandemic; personal protective equipment
PMID:32357976DOI:10.7861/clinmed.2020-0143