What PPE Should I Wear?

Thanks to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, personal protection equipment is a relatively new addition to our everyday life. New research comes up every day about the best, and the worst protective gear one can use — It’s becoming so easy to get lost in details. With so much information available, it’s not rare that after a few minutes of scouting articles about personal protection equipment (PPE gear), there may still be some confusion. And the question remains: “What PPE should I wear”?

When in Doubt: Use a Face Mask

The number one kind of personal protection equipment recommended by specialists worldwide is the now ubiquitous face mask. As mentioned in our previous article, there are two types of PPE masks — surgical and cloth. Both are effective, especially when used by the majority of the population. In addition to protecting both the wearer and the people they may come in contact with, face masks are likely going to help us in the long term. Models about the spread of coronavirus have predicted that face mask use may prevent up to 58% of possible deaths by fall.

Face masks can be used anytime, anywhere.

Once you have answered the question of what personal protective gear you should wear, a very real follow up question is how to wear PPE. How do they work? How can I still breathe well? PPE and beards?

How Do I Wear a PPE Mask?

Good news! Personal protective equipment is not so hard to use after all. The advantages of wearing a face mask come at little to no cost: they do not impede respiration nor decrease oxygen levels, unlike previously claimed by some. You can even sport PPE and a beard at the same time, as long as you are not wearing a respirator (which you shouldn’t) and are wearing a comfortable, tight-fitting mask. If you find that your usual choice of PPE falls out or is otherwise ineffective, check out beard-friendly masks: safety is possible with any kind of facial hair!

Avoid using dirty or contaminated face masks for your safety.

At the same time, wearing a mask by itself is not all there is to it. PPE gear is most effective when combined with other safety precautions, such as, social distancing and washing your hands often. Even when wearing a mask, you need to follow some precautions, such as washing your hands before putting it on or taking it off, covering both your nose and chin, and avoiding touching it as much as possible once it’s on. For more information about wearing or choosing a face mask, visit the World Health Organization dedicated web page.

Any PPE Gear Is (Almost Always) Better Than None

What if you lost/forgot/temporarily misplaced your PPE mask, you may be tempted to use another kind of PPE gear to make up for it. Any protection is always better than nothing, right? Right — with two exceptions.

The use of N95 respirators should be left to medical professionals.

First off, protective gear should be comfortable. Comfortable personal protective clothing is more likely to be worn regularly and adequately. At the same time, comfort does not trump correct use. While wearing a face mask under your nose may be more comfortable; it will not be nearly as effective. Comfort and safety should then follow a careful balance to protect the wearer best.

Finally, if you can, some personal protective clothing should be avoided. Since respirators (also known as N95 respirators) are hard to wear correctly and only protect the wearer. They may bring more harm than good when used by the general public. Similarly, you might not want to wear gloves to the supermarket. They might not prevent coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, after all, instilling instead a potentially dangerous sense of security.

So What PPE Should I Wear?

Always wear a face mask when going in public, especially when indoors. You can use other types of personal protective clothing too. Just be mindful of using it correctly and are avoiding N95 respirators.

You can also help frontliners get their personal protection equipment. PPE Needed seeks to create an overview of the global PPE shortage during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and to locally enable matching of supply and scarcity of PPE during this crisis. Want to help? Check out our free platform and our GoFundMe page. And if you wish to learn more, say hi at hello@ppeneeded.com!

Originally published at https://learn-more.ppeneeded.com on August 15, 2020.