Designing Affordable and Effective Easy-to-Make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) During Global Healthcare Crisis: Lessons Learned during COVID-19 Pandemic


Authors : Ghairatmal L; Manalai L; Manalai P

Volume/Issue : Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 7 - July

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4777a6pc

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4revp3n3

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL1200

PlumX Metrics

Semantic Scholar

ResearchGate

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : This study was conducted at the onset of the current pandemic. During initial few months of its start, the fear of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) in the United States resulted in acute shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders and healthcare providers. At the start of the pandemic, manufacturers could not keep up with competing public demand as well as healthcare facilities’ needs. Therefore, alternative PPE-like equipment that was affordable and readily available were needed. Since it was thought that the main mode of transmission of COVID-19 was nasopharyngeal droplet and face tough, in theory any devices that could reduce those two factors, would reduce the risk of transmission. In the current study, the authors used common household items to design face shield with three objectives. Firstly, design effective cheap aesthetically appealing PPE to reasonably protect the persons and reduce the competition against healthcare systems. Secondly to evolve school aged children in scientific exploration while schools were dismissed due to the pandemic indefinitely. Lastly, inspire methodologies that could be helpful in future global crises of sudden onset. We hypothesized that the face shield in this study would reduce both spreading of nasopharyngeal droplets and face touch. With the caveat of having limited resources, face shields were effective in blocking macroscopic fluorescent droplet (100%) from reaching a face. It also contained (100%) of macroscopic fluorescent droplets within the shield when a person wearing the shield coughed. The face shields also significantly reduced the amount of time in seconds individuals touched their faces (n=6, p=0.01). The youth in the study demonstrated compassion, dedication, and contributed significantly to the final product that was well received by healthcare providers. We demonstrated that in a short span of time, with limited resources, one could create effective healthcare tools. Designing Affordable and Effective Easy-to-Make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) During Global Healthcare Crisis: Lessons Learned during COVID-19 Pandemic .

References :

  1. World Health Organization (WHO) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak situation. Last update: 4 May 2020. Accessed 5/5/20 20. Available from:  https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
  2. Center for Disease Control (CDC): Cases in the U.S. Last updated on May 4, 2020. Accessed 5/5/2020. Available from:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html
  3. Center for Disease Control (CDC): COVID-19 Forecasts. Updated May 1, 2020. Accessed 5/1/2020. Available from:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/forecasting-us.html
  4. Wang D, Hu B, Hu C, Zhu F, Liu X, Jing Zhang J, Wang B, Xiang H, Cheng Z, Xiong Y, Zhao Y, Li Y, Wang X, Peng Z. Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus–Infected Pneumonia in Wuhan, China.  JAMA. 2020 Mar 17; 323(11): 1061–1069. PMCID: PMC7042881 Published online 2020 Feb 7. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.1585
  5. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Personnel to Prevent Transmission of Pandemic Influenza and Other Viral Respiratory Infections: Current Research Issues; Larson EL, Liverman CT, editors. Preventing Transmission of Pandemic Influenza and Other Viral Respiratory Diseases: Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Personnel: Update 2010. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2011. 4, Using PPE: Individual and Organizational Issues. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209587/
  6. World Health Organization (WHO) Scientific Brief: Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution recommendations. Last updated 29 March 2020. Accessed 5/5/20 20. Available from:  https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission-of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc-precaution-recommendations
  7. Mettler K. ‘STOP BUYING MASKS’: Health officials beg Americans to stop panic-shopping. Washington Post. March 2, 2020 at 8:32 a.m. Accessed 5/5/2020. Available from:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/02/n95-face-mask-coronavirus/
  8. SCHLANGER Z: Begging for Thermometers, Body Bags, and Gowns: U.S. Health Care Workers Are Dangerously Ill-Equipped to Fight COVID-19. TIME. APRIL 20, 2020 8:00 AM. Accessed 5/5/2020 . Available from:  https://time.com/5823983/coronavirus-ppe-shortage
  9. World Health Organization (WHO) News Release: Shortage of personal protective equipment endangering health workers worldwide. 3 March 2020. Accessed 5/5/2020. Available from:  https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/03-03-2020-shortage-of-personal-protective-equipment-endangering-health-workers-worldwide

This study was conducted at the onset of the current pandemic. During initial few months of its start, the fear of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) in the United States resulted in acute shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders and healthcare providers. At the start of the pandemic, manufacturers could not keep up with competing public demand as well as healthcare facilities’ needs. Therefore, alternative PPE-like equipment that was affordable and readily available were needed. Since it was thought that the main mode of transmission of COVID-19 was nasopharyngeal droplet and face tough, in theory any devices that could reduce those two factors, would reduce the risk of transmission. In the current study, the authors used common household items to design face shield with three objectives. Firstly, design effective cheap aesthetically appealing PPE to reasonably protect the persons and reduce the competition against healthcare systems. Secondly to evolve school aged children in scientific exploration while schools were dismissed due to the pandemic indefinitely. Lastly, inspire methodologies that could be helpful in future global crises of sudden onset. We hypothesized that the face shield in this study would reduce both spreading of nasopharyngeal droplets and face touch. With the caveat of having limited resources, face shields were effective in blocking macroscopic fluorescent droplet (100%) from reaching a face. It also contained (100%) of macroscopic fluorescent droplets within the shield when a person wearing the shield coughed. The face shields also significantly reduced the amount of time in seconds individuals touched their faces (n=6, p=0.01). The youth in the study demonstrated compassion, dedication, and contributed significantly to the final product that was well received by healthcare providers. We demonstrated that in a short span of time, with limited resources, one could create effective healthcare tools. Designing Affordable and Effective Easy-to-Make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) During Global Healthcare Crisis: Lessons Learned during COVID-19 Pandemic .

Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe