Is PPE Here To Stay?

The number of COVID-19 cases is continuously on the rise across the US and that’s certainly caused a hike in the demand for PPE including disposable masks, electric thermometers, and protective coveralls. Healthcare facilities around the country are experiencing a growing need for tools that would help protect themselves from contracting the fast-spreading virus. But is this demand temporary or the PPE is here to stay? Will the US adopt medical masks, gloves, no touch thermometers and other PPE equipment like Japan and other Asian countries? Is PPE going to make this world a safer place? Let’s dig a bit deeper and find out.

Is PPE Used At The Nationwide Medical Facilities Only?

The surge in PPE demand is not just because of its increased use by the healthcare professionals across the nationwide medical facilities, but many states have also made it a compulsion to wear medical masks for general public. In addition, electric thermometers and disposable masks are also increasingly used at nursing homes, primary care offices, and disability and psychiatric facilities. With most of the states trying to reopen their economies, there’s been an increased demand from their construction industry as well as other sectors too.

The primary aim of the PPE suppliers, and the government, is to first ensure sufficient supply to the frontline healthcare services that are likely to come in contact with individuals carrying COVID-19. This includes:

PPE Is Not Going Anywhere Soon

Yes, the effectiveness of PPE to stop the spread of virus has been proven through various studies already and it’s here to stay. And, there are a few reasons why the demand for PPE may not come down soon. Let’s have a look at them.

1. The Spread Of The Virus Is Unpredictable

The environment right now is pretty volatile and even if the graph has been flattened in some areas, it starts rising after some time. The demand for the PPE gear depends on how quickly the virus is being spread across new regions and territories.

When the pandemic had just started, the uncertainty around the entire situation caused hoarding, panic buying, and misuse of the PPE gear in general. And since then, the number of COVID-19 cases has just increased to make it a global pandemic. There are some countries that are experiencing second and third waves of the virus spread.

In these uncertain times, the best way for people to protect themselves against the virus is to stay socially inactive or use PPE whenever they leave their homes. At a larger scale, more and more offices, malls, medical facilities will be in need of disposable masks and no touch thermometers to curb the spread of the virus.

2. Increased Awareness And Proactive Approach

With the world adapting to the new normal, increased awareness has been observed among the masses about COVID-19 and its effects. People have become more proactive and products which earlier used to be part of the in-hospital and patient care environments – like medical masks and gloves – seem to be becoming part of our everyday routine. There is proactive testing going on and people are monitoring their health proactively too.

Businesses have also made safety a major priority in these times and the methods and equipment they used for sanitization and cleaning before the pandemic aren’t considered enough anymore. People want to work in properly equipped environment to stay safe and, therefore, organizations are taking proactive steps to ensure safety by ordering more PPE for their needs. In fact, companies like Ford have even started manufacturing PPE kits of their own to meet the PPE demand and keep their frontline staff safe with face masks, face shields, etc.

3. The Use Of PPE Has Given Positive Results

Yes, that’s probably the most important reason for PPE to stay. Despite the overall numbers of coronavirus cases going high, the use of PPE has certainly helped slow down the spread. Less number of flu cases have been reported nationwide as well. Generally, the positive results have come from more individuals using PPE, maintaining social distance, and staying at home when not well. These practices have certainly given positive results, and it’s expected that people will continue following them in years to come for safeguarding their health.

This shift in behavior and some evidence that these protective measures can effectively prevent the spread of other airborne viruses such as flu means that people will continue to rely on PPE. The trend might even continue after the pandemic as well for personal safety and the demand for PPE – including disposable masks and no touch thermometers – is expected to grow even beyond 2021.