MEDICS and carers have been locked in a desperate fight for personal protective equipment that is absolutely vital to keeping those on the front lines safe.
But what is PPE and who should be wearing it so we can best combat coronavirus? How can you help them?
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What is PPE?
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) varies, but it is the extra layers used to keep the wearer safe from pathogens, chemicals and most importantly right now, coronavirus.
The World Health Organisation describes it as: "garments placed to protect the health care workers or any other persons to get infected.
"These usually consist of standard precautions: gloves, mask, gown."
In the case of blood or airborne high infections, PPE will include Face protection, goggles and a mask or face shield, gloves, gown or coverall, head cover and rubber boots.
What are NHS doctors wearing as PPE?
The standard PPE kit in the UK is a surgical gown, alcohol hand rub, surgical gloves, a visor, goggles, and a fit-tested FFP3 respirator.
Essentially how you would imagine a surgeon to look in their full outfit.
However, this is not a normal situation and our medics are wearing anything they can get so that they can treat their patients, frequently putting their own safety at risk.
5000 doctors signed a letter saying they feel like "lambs to the slaughter" and "cannon fodder" due to the shortage.
How can you help hospitals and medics that are struggling to get hold of PPE?
In spite of the government doing its best to get supplies to our NHS heroes, there are a lot of cases where medics, care facilities and hospitals are forced to buy their own PPE due to the international shortage.
All hands are on deck in our hospitals and nursing homes, but a lack of PPE means that they are putting themselves and many of their patients at risk.
Without proper PPE our doctors and nurses are literally dying in the line of duty.
Hospitals are going as far as to get schools to make PPE masks and even getting medical masks from sex shops.
You can help by donating to causes like Masks for Heroes, a team of doctors who are buying in more PPE for British hospitals and can get it airdropped within the week.
DONATE TO THEM HERE
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