Fundamental Guidelines and Proper Application of Protective Gear and Equipment for Health Worker Safety during Caring for COVID-19 Patients

There is no doubt that COVID-19 pandemic is today considered one of the most unwelcome surprises in this decade of humanity. Over almost a year ago, it was and still is invading barriers and boundaries globally.[1]

Since the method of transmission of this vicious killer virus is through air droplet transmission, the World Health Organization recommended several guidelines to reduce the rapid spread of the virus. Guidelines such as wearing personal protective gears, face masks, or face shields became mandatory in public places. Social distancing and avoidance of crowded scenes were implemented with the help of police authorities by laying strict curfew hours and at times through a full national lockdown. The implantation of such guidelines, which have aided in slowing down the virus, has caused a massive shortage of essential equipment for health-care professionals and increased the infection rate between health-care professionals. The tragic news came from different locations that health-care workers had to face COVID-19 without adequate protection or with inadequate training on how to prevent misuse of protective gears and reinfections.[2] A cross-sectional study on the knowledge of health-care workers about the correct practice of donning and doffing of protective gears showed a lack of background information and knowledge about the process.[3] The editor considered this paper a serious effort to target educational objective in fast tracking preparing trainees to do things according to the book to spare their safety any mishandling. Now, the wide public should be educated on the same deficient domain by the media to show all aspects of knowledge, psychomotor skills, and attitude.

COVID-19 pandemic offered researchers a perfect case field to investigate the relationship between population density and infection spread rate. A preliminary study in the US found that the density is not linked to the rate of COVID-19 infections. According to the study, it was found that the more connected the places (either compact or sprawling) in large metropolitan areas are, the harder they are hit by the pandemic. COVID-19 death rates are lower in denser counties and higher in less dense counties, at a high level of statistical significance. The result is assumed to be due to a better access to health-care facilities and easier management of social distancing interventions, whereas pandemics in low-density areas that have less access to quality health care are deadlier.[4]

Due to the lack of preparation, guidance, and equipment, unfortunately, the death toll of health-care providers was high. Many frontline health workers sacrificed their own safety in order to help save the lives of others during the pandemic. Lessons and notes should be taken from the COVID-19 crisis. Efforts to prepare for other coming pandemics should be a priority for health authorities and politicians; this should be done by implementing new guidelines, proper training for HCP, and regular review for efficiency. Furthermore, sufficient amounts of equipment should be kept as a well-maintained inventory at all times in all hospitals and medical centers.

Only by protecting front line health-care workers with a comprehensive uniform approach can a significant reduction in the morbidity and mortality of these health-care facility workers occur.[5] This is important in order to ensure adequate safety for well-trained health-care facility physicians, nurses, allied health care and facility staff.[6]