Analysis on the evolution of the personal protective equipment proposed in catalan hospitals during the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This project arose to suggest in-depth research on key topics to give our health system better tools to face future outbreaks. And in order to determine the flaws in the response given to the COVID-19 pandemic and what led to them, all to prevent them from happening in future outbreaks. MATERIAL AND METHODS: WHO’s tuberculosis laboratory biosafety manual and the tuberculosis patient insulation procedure from the Bellvitge hospital as examples of protocols before the pandemic and V2, V2.3 and V3 of Pla EPI as examples implemented during the outbreak have been used. Pla EPI was created to help distribute PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) among healthcare personnel based on their tasks and taking into consideration the lack of it due to the collapse in the supply chain faced during the first wave. By summarizing the documents of interest using data tables. A comparative between the PPE proposed in the different published versions of ‘’Pla EPI’’ has been made. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: This comparison has led to the conclusion that new protocols offer a more bilateral healthcare worker/patient protection instead of only focusing on protecting the worker from patients' pathogens. In relation to pla EPI, considering the now demonstrated importance of aerosols in transmission of COVID-19, we conclude that PPE available at the moment isn’t enough to protect against this type of diseases and that more research should be done towards better PPE. We should stop relying on a few countries to provide the whole healthcare system with PPE, after all, that was the main cause of PPE shortage during the first wave.