COVID-19: Use of Donated or Self-purchased Personal Protective Equipment

Global penetrance of coronavirus disease 2019 has placed significant stress on the ability to produce and supply appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to health care workers. Additionally, the risk pool of known and unknown disease in our communities has greatly challenged our ability to reliably determine which patients are at low risk. For these reasons, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has supported and will continue to support the use of surgical masks with proper eyewear and other protective equipment for physicians and other individuals caring for patients, regardless of their complaint. Processes and procedures that create higher risk, such as close contact and aerosolizing procedures, require full PPE, including N95 masks.

Because the inadequate PPE supply increases the risk to our physicians, they have taken to buying their own PPE or using donations from other industries. ACEP urges hospitals and other health care facilities to allow physicians to use their donated or self-purchased PPE.