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PPE
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April 10, 2020
2020 Grocery Store Fashion
“This morning’s grocery store fashion,” I wrote on April 10, 2020 when I posted this photo to Instagram. I tagged #socialdistancing #maskedcrusader and #newyorktough. This was the first time I wore a mask when I left the house and it was one of only a few times I’d gone farther than my backyard or front stoop since lockdown began the month prior. I had been listening to public health officials who advised wearing “face coverings” to help “flatten the curve” (reduce the number of new infections to prevent overcrowding in hospitals). I also followed their advice to opt for cloth and save the real masks for health care workers on the “front lines” of the pandemic who were facing a shortage of “PPE - personal protective equipment.” So many new words and phrases had entered the lexicon and I was struggling to keep up. Masking felt like a way I could protect myself and family and contribute to the effort to squash Covid-19. I found a video tutorial for how to make a “no sew” mask using a bandana folded over hair ties for ear loops. I added a coffee filter in the middle of the folds for good measure. I used this type of mask into the summer of 2020 when I realized masks weren’t going away anytime soon and started wearing more fitted cloth versions. I remember masking felt strange and changed the way I interacted with people I passed who couldn’t see my customary polite smile of acknowledgment. I started nodding slightly and learned to squint my eyes to indicate a smile when I passed people to make up for this impediment. Masking made it difficult to be heard and understood especially through other precautionary barriers like plexiglass shields at checkout counters. These days when I encounter people I first met when masking was more widespread, I sometimes don’t recognize them because I’ve never seen the bottom half of their face. It’s a bizarre set of circumstances. Now I usually only mask if I have respiratory symptoms or if I am around someone particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. When I do mask, I choose an N-95 respirator which is readily available and more effective than my cloth mask and coffee filter creation of April 2020. -
2022-05-03
Eranga Narangoda Oral History, 2022/05/03
It provides the pandemic perspective of Dr. Eranga Narangoda, a practitioner of internal medicine specializing in infectious disease, as he served on the front lines of Sri Lanka's COVID response. -
2020-03-15
Together and Apart
Flagstaff AZ. My husband was an occupational therapist who regularly worked in the ICU at Flagstaff Medical Center. I remember the week after the lockdown started (March 15th or so) the Covid-19 numbers were doubling every week at FMC. My husband started changing out of his scrubs and shoes in the garage. I was a speech therapist with the school district and we were all asked to stay home, which was good because I have two school-aged children. As the Covid numbers started to skyrocket in our region due to a devastating outbreak on the Navajo nation, my husband became more and more worried about bringing the virus home since there was a shortage of PPE. When it was announced that my own job would go remote and I would need to start scheduling teletherapy sessions with my students, we decided it would be better for me and the kids to go live with my mom and dad in Tempe for a few weeks. My mom is a retired teacher and offered to teach my kids while I worked with my students online. The kids loved having grandma be their teacher. I had to learn how to work with preschoolers with disabilities over Zoom, which is no easy task! Meanwhile, my husband was providing us updates; when he finally got fitted for a tyvek suit was a happy day because he could spend all day in it helping patients. The doctors were trying new therapies with patients every week, but mostly he saw many people seem to get better and then take unexpected deadly turns. Treating isolated, scared patients while feeling helpless to know what to do was taking a toll on everyone at the hospital. The kids and I spent 7 weeks with my mom, face-timing him every night. Finally, as the school-year came to a close, we were able to reunite. I captured the moment we got home and my husband hugged my 5 year old son. We were so lucky; no one in the family had gotten sick so far despite my husband being in close proximity to patients each day. Over the summer and into the next school year we were hoping for some normalcy to return but it was nothing but adapting to change. The kids made friends with the neighbors down the street not by playing in the front yard, but by yelling greetings over the fence. When they started school in the fall we organized a "pod" with other families whose children were in the same classes as ours at DeMiguel elementary. We had four kindergarteners and three 2nd graders all doing school over Zoom at the same time, which was not easy for the parents who had to oversee them (my husband had the honor at least once a week), but the kids really benefitted from having friends to play with during breaks. We saw them become more motivated to participate and happier overall. I started seeing some students in-person for the first time at the school on a very limited basis. I wore clear PPE products so my students could see my mouth. The kids didn't go back to in-person school until about a year after the lockdown (Spring 2021). As the school year ended, the wildest school year of our lives, things did start to seem normal again, but we ended up leaving Flagstaff for Tucson due to soaring high home prices and my husband needing a fresh start away from the memories of the early pandemic. -
2022-04-08
NHS Approved PPE
This is an Instagram post by sciquipuk. This is a store that sells NHS approved PPE for people to buy. Throughout the pandemic, I have seen people use a variety of these items. I have mostly seen masks. Every once in a while, I have seen people use face shields. This is a good post that demonstrates some of the things people have regularly worn during the course of the pandemic. -
2020
Effects of PPE
This photo is an important reflection of what healthcare providers have had to endure and the lasting physical and mental toll the pandemic has taken. It was taken after a 12 hour shift of wearing PPE non-stop. -
2021
Another Hospital
My mother worked at several hospitals throughout the beginning of the pandemic, as there were nurse shortages. At this particular location, she working in several units including the ICU, outpatient surgery, and distributing vaccines. This is important to me because seeing my mom dressed like this and hearing about how she worked in multiple places any given day put into perspective how dire the situation was and continues to be. -
2020
My Mom Working in the COVID ICU
While this is not me, it is still important to me since it is my mom. She has worked in the COVID ICU almost the entire time, and I was really affected by seeing her gowned up like that the first time. Her career during my lifetime has not required so much PPE, so it was a really surreal moment that forced me to really appreciate the extremity of the pandemic and how much danger my mom was in. -
2020-08-11
Nurse handover Emergency Department, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
This photograph was taken in August 2020, the time when daily and active cases in Victoria's second wave were at their peak with hospitals adapting services and protocols in response. The photograph shows a nurse handover in the hospital's Emergency Department. The red line on the floor marks the boundary of the "hot zone" area dedicated to the care of patients regarded as infectious. Staff wear prescribed Level 4 PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) of gowns, face protection and N95 masks. -
2021-01-19
Essential Business Continuity Stipend – November 3, 2020 Election
This is a letter I got in the mail from the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar, that was sent to anyone in the county who worked at the polls on "the four days prior to or on Election Day". The letter accompanied a $100 stipend that the county was able to provide to election workers for the November general election because they received a grant from The Center for Tech and Civic Life. The following is an excerpt from the letter that mentions the challenges COVID provided to election working: "I want to personally thank you for being a key part of our Election team and for helping to keep voting safe, secure, and convenient under the uncertain conditions of a global pandemic. Your service as an Election Worker ensured that every voter who showed up to the polls was helped with ease and accuracy and that our ballots were processed securely and accurately. The November 3, 2020 election included many new challenges and obstacles that we had never faced. We overcame them together and had a very successful Presidential Election. You did a great ["great" is bolded and underlined] job – from learning our new electronic poll books, to taking the necessary precautions with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and social distancing." -
2021-06-23
The mask
Walking into the Store, looking around, oh no! I forgot my mask :/ -every person going into a store -
2021-06-23
Wedge issue
A facemask is a warning that reads: keep your distance lest you drag me down with you. The people who wear them are of no concern, they’ve chosen to live. It’s those that go about, naked and exposed, that should frighten you. -
2020-04-11
Used Glove in a Parking Lot
One of many used gloves in the parking lot of a grocery store in the early days of the pandemic. -
2021-04-27
Should the US Share Covid 19 Vaccines and Supplies? + American Patriotism
Should the US Share Covid 19 Vaccines and Supplies? + American Patriotism I think countries should try to share supplies when they're able to. It's for the greater good but I also understand that countries just don't and won't adopt this policy. Every country in the world is a "_____ country first” country. I think it's unrealistic to assume that countries will donate covid-19 supplies while they are still dealing with it. I think the only countries that might do this are the Nordic countries that everyone points at and goes that is the favorite Child of the entire world. I think in the future it will be interesting to see what country is the favorite child as I put it. I also think that there's an interesting argument that goes along the lines of this, the United States is the controlling superpower and if they themselves are not able to be stable they aren't able to help the world to be stable. Yes, I understand this logic that I proposed is a little bit prideful coming from an American, because I think Americans have a tendency to use “the USA number one” mode of thinking and they also think that without the United States, the world would crumple. People who use this logic also mention the Marshall Plan and some of the other work that was done in the Asia post World War II. But I think nowadays, consensus with Americans is “what has the US done recently”. I agree with the “what has the US done lately” logic and I think it exists as a purposeful counter to the flag waving and patriotism that we see in so many Americans today. I think because of this we have created the “Ashamed American”. I would describe the ashamed American as being disgusted by those flag wavers. I describe them as disgusted with the right and disgusted with Donald Trump. I think these ashamed Americans look at the flag waving and they say “why?”. They say “why are we waving this flag for this country that has so many problems, that has done so much bad.” They don't believe that there was ever a Great America. They believe it's always been a flawed America and they look at these socialist countries that seem to be so happy yet they think why does America have so many problems while they are so happy. I think this is sort of interesting to document for the future because I'm not sure if it's always been this way. I think this might have arised with 2020 politics though I think I can't even say that. You must also understand that the reaction to the European trying to “diss” the US is often “Shut up you bidet-loving European. USA is number one! Number one, number one. Did y'all invent the hamburger? Did y’all invent French fries? I don't think so go back to your country with stupid free healthcare and play some stupid soccer.” and as the Europeans walks away, a group forms that begins to sing the national anthem. Even those “ashamed Americans” won’t let those darn Europeans speak badly on the US of A. -
2021
Covid-19 in the background of life
I have a lot of photos taken in this spot. Our animals and children are cute and tend to hang out on the sofa. I was scrolling back through my online albums and noticed something the background of my photos from the last year all have in common. The tote bag hanging off the closet door is for used masks as we come in. The little table across the stairs is our home PPE station. It wasn’t there a year ago. The baskets are filled with cloth masks of various sizes and styles (it took a lot of trial and error to find masks that fit both kids) and the drawer has a touchless thermometer, among other things. The top has wipes, hand sanitizer, and a UV phone sanitizer that was on back order for months before it arrived. We will always be able to identify the year these photos were taken thanks to a collection of stuff I couldn’t imagine having eighteen months ago. I wonder how long it will stay? -
2021-04-09
Mask Collection
My personal collection of masks that I have gained over the course of the plague year. -
2021-04-03
Big business, bigger crowds.
This is a tweet from Toronto Ontario which depicts an absolutely massive group of people crowding outside of an Ikea in North York. Just this week, Ontario has seen a massive spike in coronavirus cases, which has prompted the province into another shock lockdown. However, it is apparent that these restrictions are somehow not applicable to big business. Rather, this Tweet touches upon another important feature of the pandemic and the Canadian ‘lockdown.’ Smaller businesses have been forced to pay out of pocket for the adequate infrastructure to remain open during a pandemic, and in many cases have been forced to shut down when ordered to by the province. However, with each passing lockdown it becomes more apparent that these rules, restrictions, and realities do not apply to the larger corporations and super-stores such as Ikea and Wal-Mart. Larger companies can afford to take the fines, they can afford the infrastructure, PPE and much more – smaller businesses simply cannot operate in these conditions, and there has been insufficient aid to make sure that these smaller businesses, their owners and employees are properly protected. And while cases continue to rise, and smaller businesses are forced to close; it makes little sense to give a free pass to these large transnational multi-million dollar companies. -
2021-02-02
Inadequate Sick Leave Jeopardizes Canadian Health Workers and Patients
Due to inadequate medical supplies, lack of vaccines, and inability to slow down the spread of the virus, the pandemic rages on. To make matters worse, over half of Canadian workers lack sufficient sick leaves, which contribute to more outbreaks and the dangers of contracting COVID-19. -
2020-05-01
Used PPE
A photograph of the soiled PPE at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. -
2020-03-27
Donating PPE
Université du Québec à Montréal donated PPE to hospitals at the beginning of the pandemic. -
2020-08-26
Yukon Brewery
A post from Yukon Brewing in August 2020 about their hand sanitizer. -
2020-03-17
Ontario Distillery
This is a photograph from March 2020 showing the hand sanitizer made by Dillons Distillery. -
2020-03
Putting On PPE
A guide to properly putting on PPE -
2020-03-16
Switching Lanes: Autoparts manufacturers turn to making vital PPE
A news article about the possibility of car parts manufacturers switching to making PPE in the early days of the pandemic -
2020-12-13
PPE Supply Store
An online store selling PPE made in Canada -
2020-03-23
Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions Demands for worker protections
A document describing the official position of the CFNU on reasonable precautions that should be put into place to prevent nurses and other healthcare workers getting Covid-19 -
2020-11
Checklist for Putting On & Removing PPE
Checklist for healthcare workers when putting PPE on and taking it off. Important to remember that many healthcare workers did not have to don PPE before the pandemic and needed guidance. -
2020-06-02
"Why Wearing a Mask is Important When Going to a Protest"
This photo shows a masked man standing above a gathering of people and has his left hand raised. -
2020-06-03
"Medical Workers hoping to recieve PPE hand-me-downs from riot police"
This photo shows a masked woman with her arms raised in front of the riot police. -
2020-05-07
Canadian Shield makes 1,000,000 shields
The Canadian Shield, a company started in Waterloo Region, was founded during the pandemic to create face shield for essential workers. In May 2020, they had already created 1,000,000 shields for essential workers. -
2020-03-25
At least 2 Toronto hospitals begin rationing protective gear as COVID-19 crisis deepens
Early news article about rationing PPE. -
2020
N95 Standards
The Canadian Dental Association describes in detail what an N95 is and how to spot counterfeits. This is crucial as N95 must be strictly tested to ensure they are filtering properly. -
2020-04-06
Anxieties over COVID-19 and possible PPE shortages prompting some health care workers to draft wills
Discussion with Dr. Michelle Cohen about the dangers of working in the hospitals during COVID and her concerns over PPE shortages. -
2020-04-08
Sunnybrook is re-processing N95 masks, should the need for use arise
Sunnybrook Hospital began researching how to sterilize masks in April 2020 as the PPE shortages had become so severe. In the video, Dr. Jerome Leis explains the research. -
2020-10-13
Students Sell Cloth Masks
A group of Canadian university students founded a mask making company in April 2020. In October 2020, they reached 25,000 masks sold. The masks are made in Canada. -
2020-03-19
Quebec Distillery
Cirka Distilleries began producing hand sanitizer. In this post, they request contacts with companies that provide bottles and aloe. -
2020-04-28
PPE Supply April 2020
This is an infographic from the Canadian Medical Association analyzing the supply of PPE in Canada. The graphic shows the supply stock and the affect the lack of supplies has on the mental health of healthcare workers. -
2020-03-30
Sewing Masks for Friends and Family
There was a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) at the start of the pandemic. I was anxious for my family and friends, especially for the nurses in my life who didn’t have any face masks. Once my mom and I saw on the news that cloth masks were an acceptable form of PPE, we knew exactly what to do. We busted out our library of fabric that we had collected over the years and dusted off our sewing machines. My grandma taught my mom to sew, and my mom passed the skill down to me. We started off making free masks for my friend’s sister and her fellow nurses. None of our other friends or relatives knew how to sew and when word got out that we were making masks, the orders started pouring in. My mom, brother, and I relied heavily on our crafting skills in order to fill custom orders. During the first month of the mask making craze, it was difficult to buy fabric that our friends were requesting. Solid black, Spurs, Cowboys, and dark colored fabrics as well as elastic were hard to find. Furthermore, Joann’s had limited hours and their best fabrics were sold out online and in-stores. My brother printed custom images on heat transfer vinyl that I would then press onto the fabric, and I bought bedsheets and dyed fabric to create colors that we didn’t have in stock. My mom and I already had a bad habit of buying fabric for no reason, and now that we have an actual purpose our collection has grown even more. I look for fabric that suits the personality of my friends and try to find prints that are cute and festive for each season. My friends and family will own wear masks that my mom and I have made. I think they take comfort in knowing each mask was made especially for them. As for my mom and I, we are relieved in knowing that our loved ones are protected with masks that fit their personalities. -
2020-08-07
Everyone Needs a Mask!
My mum sent me this very adorable photo of my dog wearing a face mask to gently remind me to wear a mask while in public to keep me safe from COVID-19. In Victoria, masks have been mandated in all public areas since July, regardless of social distancing. My mum sent this photo to some of our friends and family too, to cheer them up during the difficult times Victoria was going through at the time with a strong rise in cases. She had also reminded me, like with how our dog Snowy was wearing it in the photo, to make to cover both the mouth and the nose for the mask to function properly. Snowy did not much like wearing the mask, but he certainly looked extremely cute in it! Although at the time when my mum sent me this picture she had meant it as a joke, unfortunately with the new strain of the COVID mutation rumouring to originate from minks in Denmark, the possibility of dogs or cats contracting COVID-19 perhaps isn't so far-fetched. Remember to wear a mask and stay safe! -
2020-11-09
Getting a COVID-Safe Haircut
With COVID-19, even things as simple as getting a haircut were never the same. The photo above shows what that looked like. In Bahrain, where I live, hairdressers were closed down in March and were only reopened months later. When they finally did, patrons and customers had to abide by certain restrictions. There was only a fixed number of customers allowed in. Body temperatures had to be taken. Contact details had to be provided for the purposes of contact tracing in case anyone was exposed to the virus. Masks and face shields were mandatory for the persons giving the haircuts. Moreover, many people seem to not want to handle cash, and as a result, cashless payments are more popular than ever. This reflection was submitted as part of the HIST30060 Making History project at the University of Melbourne. HIST30060. -
2020-07-23
COVID-19 Contact Tracing Notice - Healthcare Worker
This was an email sent to my brother, who is a third year Doctor of Optometry student at the University of Melbourne. One of his classmates had tested positive for Covid-19, and he had been in the same lab room doing practicals together during this time. His whole class was asked to self-isolate for a two-week period, and his exams for the semester were pushed back as well. Although he does no directly deal with Covid-19 related patients, as a healthcare worker, he must come in close contact with people on a greater basis than almost any other profession. He isolated for the required period and was tested twice, thankfully with a negative result both times. Each test required 1-2 days turnaround. This object shows the steps organisations are taking to ensure proper contact tracing and in taking care both their patients and students. It also shows how healthcare workers, who come in close physical contact with others, are inherently at high risk and need to be extra careful not to catch or spread diseases. HIST30060. -
2020-11-05
Doctor Shares Photo Of Himself Ready To Work On The Covid Floor
A doctor shares a photo as he prepares for a shift of taking care of coronavirus patients. He is in full PPE. -
2020-05-25
Jewish Melbourne: Fella Hamilton makes PPE
The Australian Jewish News reported on Fella Hamilton making PPE: "WITH delays of several weeks in the arrival of imported masks, surgical gowns and scrubs to manage COVID-19, an Australian garment label founded by a Holocaust survivor has stepped up, converting its facilities to manufacture Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) wearables. The Fella Hamilton company has responded to an Australian government call for factories to retool to make products that help the fight against COVID-19. Sharon Hamilton, CEO, and her husband David, son of founder Fella Hamilton, decided to take action, switching fashion wear production at their Melbourne factory to PPE products." "Sharon said Jewish doctors have helped the company design isolation gowns now in use at Cabrini Health Australia and other private hospitals in Melbourne, and a WA aged-care provider." -
2020-10-30
Follow the Yellow Brick Road
“Do you sell hand sanitizer?” asks nearly every customer that enters the door into the store that I work at. If I’m not busy, I’m usually kind enough to walk them down to the aisle they’re in (Aisle 12, Cleaning and Breakroom!), however, if I can’t take the time to, I tell them to follow the stickers we have on the floor that leads to that section. Sort of like the yellow brick road from The Wizard of Oz led Dorothy and her gang to the Emerald City. Many stores nowadays have social distancing and directional stickers for aisles, but this is the only place that I have seen these types of stickers. This is something that I have come to associate with life during the pandemic; now learning to work during this. -
2020-07-17
Nurses Cry for Help
This is a cry for help that my sister and her manager posted on Facebook. This came at a time when nurses were running on empty as far as supplies were concerned. They needed anything they could get their hands on. The panic caused by the virus led to people hoarding PPE and essentially taking it from the hands of the people that really needed it. Because of that, the nurses needed to reach out to anyone that would listen. They sent a message to the community asking for help and putting the list of items they were short of in the amazon wish list. Thankfully within days they were able to get enough supplies to last them a few weeks but they are still reliant on the community. The pandemic has asked a lot from the frontline workers and the stress they've endured isn't something I'd wish on my worst enemy. If their is any way to make their jobs a bit easier, I think we owe it to them to do it. -
2020-10-28
Human Muzzles...???
This is a funny meme of What Dogs could be thinking about all the mask wearing going on lately! #MaskUp -
2020-10-25
Pockets Full of PPE
This is a photograph I took when I was clearing out my pockets to wash my uniforms. I work in Law Enforcement, and due to the nature of our work, we are always needing to refresh our PPE and have it ready to go at a moments notice. I hadn't realized how much more often I find myself needing gloves until I noticed the 'Glove Mountain' that has formed on my dryer... Almost all my pockets had gloves or extra mask in them.. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure... #GloveUp #MaskUp -
2020-08-18
Work Safety
These photos are some I took while creating PPE Kits for where I work... My workplace has always used them, but now, with the pandemic, we are using a lot more so we made up packets that can be grabbed and taken with we will always have supplies available when we need it. ppe, work safe, COVID-19, HST580, ASU, precaution -
2020-06-15
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office answers Frequently Asked Questions regarding Covid-19
This is a list of questions posed to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office regarding department policies and procedures regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. This list was made to provide answers to the public regarding safety and security issues within the jails. The questions range from how many active cases are present in the jail (as of date of publication) to how/when inmates are released to availability of cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment. -
2020-04-28
New Norms in the Healthcare Environment
As the spread of Covid grew larger and larger, masks and face shields became the new norm at the hospital. New precautions included temperature checks at the entrances, reuse of PPE, and a completely new hospital environment. Whole wings of the hospital previously dedicated to elective surgeries were cleared out preparing for the surge. Patients were not allowed visitors and when they needed to see a friendly face the most, all they were able to see was our eyes. -
2020-08-16
The Hottest New Accessory
Masks. In the span of just a few weeks, I went from never having worn one before to wearing one nearly every day. As a person with several autoimmune diseases, COVID-19 poses an existential threat to my health. Masks are not just about being allowed in a grocery store, or avoiding the ridicule of others; they are a matter of survival. I have now amassed quite the collection, partly out of convenience- I never want to find myself without a clean one- and partly out of fear. We are now in the fifth month of COVID restrictions, with a distinct possibility of another five or more to come. What if there is another PPE shortage? What if I become too sick to sew my own? So dutifully I collect, buying and making and sharing, just in case. Written by Meghan E. Donahue, incoming junior at Suffolk University.