The world is a very unsafe place at the moment. Usually it’s because we are facing the threat of a war of some kind or another. But at the moment we are not preparing to win a war against a rival country, religion, or an uprising of any sort. This is a war against a virus. And it’s one that infects humans, not computers.
Across the world, hospitals and medical centres are not prepared for this extremely unusual situation. The virus has spread so rapidly, to every corner of the earth. Virtually no country has remained unscathed and it’s becoming clearer by the day that supplies of many emergency medical items are low, and on the verge of running out.
So what kind of things might be needed during an emergency situation, apart from the obvious ones like extra beds, respirators and general breathing equipment.
Face Masks
This might seem obvious right now, but in any other kind of emergency situation, face masks might not be top of the list as high priority. However, we are dealing with a virus and to protect not only our medical staff, but the general public, face masks are a definite necessity.
Of course, as with anything, there are many different styles, which offer varying degrees of protection. Is an expensive one any better than a basic one, the answer probably is, any face mask is better than no face mask at all.
Protection Suits
When we are fighting a war against humans, our protection armour comes in a very different guise. We need camouflage suits, helmets and tough boots.
But to fight a virus, we need much more sophisticated protection. To stop bacteria getting onto their skin, or a virus getting into their body, frontline emergency staff, doctors and nurses must wear protective clothing that doesn’t leave one inch of skin exposed.
Protection suits aren’t something that is required by trained professionals in ordinary circumstances, but this is no ordinary circumstance. Supplies of these all in one suits are in constant demand while we endure this crisis.
Drips, and IV Equipment
We are very used to seeing bags of various solutions hanging on an IV pole. But hardly ever have we needed them in such huge numbers. The manufacturers of these items could never have predicted what this outbreak would mean to them, and it’s probable that even if they run their stocks down to the wire, it still won’t be enough to supply the demand for them that is happening at the moment.
Disposable Gloves
Health care professionals are used to putting on disposable gloves as a matter of routine. But at the moment, during this crisis, more and more people are being drafted into our medical centres to deal with this emergency, and so more gloves are being used on a daily basis.
It’s likely that the manufacturers will have been completely unprepared for this surge in demand, and struggle to meet their orders.
The medical profession is in for a very rough ride, let’s hope there is enough equipment to go round.
