HHS and FEMA FACT SHEET
Coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) Pandemic :
Personal Protective Equipment Preservation Best Practices
This fact sheet summarizes best practices for national implementation to sustain personal protective equipment ( PPE ) while ensuring the protection of healthcare personnel ( HCP ) and first responders during the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic response .
Objective
The objective of the COVID-19 National Strategy for Addressing Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE ) Shortage is to ensure protection for HCP , first responders , and patients against COVID-19 by following three preservation pillars : Reduce – Reuse – Repurpose . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic response and associated global PPE shortages , implementation of contingency and crisis capacity plans are viable approaches to ensuring the continued availability of protective gear .
PPE availability should be regularly monitored and projected needs should be regularly assessed . Conventional capacity measures should already be implemented as standard practice , contingency capacity practices used temporarily during periods of expected PPE shortages , and crisis capacity practices considered during periods of known PPE shortages . These are meant to be considered and implemented sequentially . As PPE availability returns to normal , facilities should promptly resume conventional practices . To use the Fact Sheet , select appropriate actions based on your specific organizational and facility PPE requirements and availability . See CDC Strategies to Optimize the Supply of PPE and Equipment for more details . All U . S . healthcare facilities and first responder organizations in all states should begin using PPE contingency strategies NOW .
WHAT DO I DO ?
July 13 , 2020 Update – Page 1 of 4