Mike Ryan of WHO: 'Only reuse protective gear if no other option’
Testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) must be used “at the highest level of efficiency,” says Dr Mike Ryan of the World Health Organisation.
Dr Ryan, who heads the WHO’s health emergencies programme, said test kits, PPE, and other equipment used to respond to Covid-19 are in very short supply.
“We have to be absolutely sure that we’re using them at the highest level of efficiency, and with the best possible strategic objective,” he said on RTÉ radio.
“You have to look at prioritising and rationalising the use of PPE for health workers. So it’s not just about having more and doing more.
"It’s about using what you have in a more efficient and more directed way so that you can preserve those precious resources for those who most need them.”
Dr Ryan said extending the life of the PPE could be achieved but needs to be done “exceptionally carefully”.
Goggles could be disinfected and reused because they are plastic but it is very difficult to sterilise and reuse gowns and gloves:
Extending the life of certain PPE is possible but the reuse of PPE needs to be very carefully considered in very limited circumstances, and where we have no other options.
Dr Ryan said Ireland seems to be moving in the right direction in controlling the spread of the virus: “We need to get rapid testing of suspect cases. Everybody doesn’t need to be tested.
"What we need to ensure is that people fulfilling a case definition are tested quickly and that they are prioritised.”
“If we can get those individuals into isolation and we can quarantine those contacts we can further take the heat out of the epidemic.
"The first move was to create the space. Now we need to explore the opportunities that have been created.”
The general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said the HSE needs to have a plan for distributing PPE to frontline medical staff when it arrives from China at the weekend.
Any equipment must be immediately distributed to where it was most needed, she said on RTÉ radio.
Because of the danger of cross-contamination, healthcare workers in intensive care units and those taking sample swabs must be a priority for PPE.
- The HSE have developed an information pack on how to protect yourself and others from coronavirus. Read it here
- Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus who has been in close contact with a confirmed case in the last 14 days should isolate themselves from other people - this means going into a different, well-ventilated room alone, with a phone; phone their GP, or emergency department - if this is not possible, phone 112 or 999 and in a medical emergency (if you have severe symptoms) phone 112 or 999
