• When being assessed medically, patients with confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection should wear a facemask.
• When caring for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, healthcare workers should use Standard and Transmission-based Precautions.

Importance of PPE

Personal protective equipment, or "PPE," is clothing used to reduce exposure to dangers that cause serious industrial injuries and illnesses. It exists to protect workers' well-being and is critical in terms of best practice and risk mitigation. It is worn to reduce workers' exposure to workplace dangers that cause serious injuries and, in some cases, long-term diseases.

Before putting on a piece of equipment, it should be inspected to ensure that it is sanitary and in good operating order. It's preferable to evoke a sense of caution if any damage or defect is observed.

For work safety, workers must be trained in the following areas:

1. When PPE is required
2. What protective equipment is required?
3. How to correctly don, doff, adjust, and wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
4. The PPE's limitations
5. And correct PPE care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal.

Importance of  PPE Kits for avoiding Covid-19 virus

As we all know, the coronavirus transmits mostly by respiratory droplets produced when people cough, sneeze, or exhale. It is also spread through touching, direct touch, and contact with contaminated surfaces or items, and then touching their own mouth, nose, or potentially their eyes. People who have close contact with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient or who care for such patients are most at risk of infection. As a result, personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential, particularly for healthcare personnel and frontline workers, to protect them from the infection. It breaks the virus's chain, preventing it from spreading further.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Components

PPE includes a face shield, goggles, gloves, a mask, coveralls or gowns (with or without aprons), a shoe cover, and a head cover.

1. Face shield and goggles. The eyes, nose, and mouth are the most vulnerable organs because droplets produced by a person's cough or sneeze reach the other person through them. The use of face shields or goggles to protect the eyes, nose, and mouth is an important aspect of standard and contact precautions.
2. Masks. Coronavirus mostly affects a person's upper and lower respiratory systems. As a result, protecting the airway from viruses generated by droplets/aerosols helps to prevent human infection. Masks are essential for everyone to protect themselves as well as the other person. Depending on your career and work, masks can come in a variety of styles. Disposable triple-layered medical masks keep the wearer from being infected. Then there are N-95 masks, which must be worn by persons who provide critical services and are at a higher risk of infection.
3. Gloves. When a person comes into contact with an object or surface that has been contaminated by a COVID-19 infected individual, he or she is likely to touch their own eyes, nose, or mouth with the same hand. As a result, persons at increased risk must wear gloves to avoid infection. Nitrile gloves are preferred over latex gloves because they are chemically resistant, including disinfectants such as chlorine.
4.  Coverall/Gowns. Gowns are primarily used to protect healthcare personnel who are constantly at risk of becoming sick. It is possible to eliminate or reduce contact and droplet exposure by wearing suitable protective clothes, so protecting healthcare workers working in close vicinity (within 1 metre) to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases or their secretions.
5. Shoe covers and head covers. To reduce the danger of viral transmission, health professionals wear shoe covers and headcovers. They provide as an additional layer of defence against COVID-19. It is important to protect yourself against risk in high-risk areas, especially hospitals, by any means available.

How to Put On (Don) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare providers?

It is possible to use more than one donning method. It is vital to receive training and practise using your healthcare facility's method. One example of wearing PPE kit parts is shown below.

1. Determine and collect the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). Ensure that the gown size is right (based on training).
2.  Use hand sanitizer to do hand hygiene.
3. Dress in an isolation gown. Tie all of the gown's ties. Other healthcare personnel may be required to assist.
4. Put on an NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirator or a higher level respirator (use a facemask if a respirator is not available). If the respirator has a nosepiece, it should be kept in place with both hands and should not be bent or tented. One hand should not be used to pinch the nosepiece. Respirator or facemask should be worn under the chin. Your lips and nose should be protected. Wearing a respirator or facemask under your chin or storing it in your scrubs pocket between patients is not permitted.
   Respirator straps should be worn on the crown of the head (top strap) and at the base of the neck (bottom strap). Each time you put on the respirator, perform a user seal check
   Mask ties should be worn at the crown of the head (top tie) and at the base of the neck (bottom tie). Wrap the loops of your mask around your ears.
5. Put on a face shield or goggles. Select the suitable eye protection when wearing a N95 respirator or half facepiece elastomeric respirator to ensure that the respirator does not interfere with the correct positioning of the eye protection and make sure that the eye protection does not interfere with the respirator's fit or seal. Face shields cover the entire face. Goggles give excellent eye protection as well, but fogging is common.
6.  Put on your gloves. Gloves should cover the cuff of the gown (wrist).
7. Healthcare staff are now permitted to enter the patient's room.