Picture

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

23 Apr DOH revised advice on PPE

Face Masks

Evidence re: face masks
  • 5 June - WHO updated guidelines
  • 9 Apr - questions submitted to Clinical Evidence Taskforce​​ - response - 1.** The Taskforce acknowledges the tremendous importance of IPC/PPE-related questions to clinicians working across the heath system during the pandemic. We have now established links with the Commonwealth Government’s Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG) and the Australian College of Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) to support the development of national evidence-based guidance for IPC and PPE-related issues in clinical care settings. 
    ​6 Apr - WHO advice on the use of masks in the community and for health care workers
  • BMJ Open - ​first RCT of cloth masks - "Further research is needed
    to inform the widespread use of cloth masks globally.  However, as a precautionary measure, cloth masks should not be recommended for HCWs, particularly in
    high-risk situations.    "
  • UNSW - "The use of cloth masks by healthcare works...should be discouraged."
  • Annals of Work Exposures & Health - "common fabric materials may provide marginal protection against nanoparticles including those in the size ranges of virus-containing particles in exhaled breath"
  • Nature - "results indicate that surgical face masks could prevent transmission of human coronaviruses and influenza viruses from symptomatic individuals."
  • The Lancet - comparison of face mask use, recommendations by different health authorities
  • BMJ - "The use of reusable cloth masks is widespread globally...but there is no clinical research to inform their use and most policies offer no guidance on them."

​DIY Facemasks
​(NB evidence as above)
Cleaning masks
  • UV-C P95 mask sterilisation
  • John Ferguson stated that regular wash with detergent is adequate to defeat coronavirus, hot wash (60C) not necessary - email Kathleen Wild 29 Mar 20, Hunter GP
 - Retailers - Surgical Mask Request Form PHN
Vertical Divider

Donning and doffing

Cleaning and disinfection

Environmental cleaning

Front Desk Shields

  • Just Signage - acrylic sneeze guards, standard sizes or made to measure
Vertical Divider

Face Shields

Hand sanitiser

Home made sanitiser
 
​Retailers

Gowns

Scrubs

Social distancing

3 Jun - BBC article on social distancing - why 1.5m?
Direct links to HealthPathway COVID-19 Pages (Pathway most relevant to this topic is underlined)