05-Oct-2020 | Market Research Store
Right now, the frontline healthcare workers are forced to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) which comprises of goggles, face visors, and respiratory protective equipment to avoid contracting COVID-19 while at work. These essentials have become an essential part of their working life. Currently, all the medical staffs are wearing facial PPE that too for an extended period of time to avoid the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into their body. But, the use of PPE for hours together is known to cause friction or shear injuries including ulcers, blisters, hives, and skin tears. For reducing these effects, the researchers from Imperial College London have found application of lubricants on every half an hour to help reduce the friction and shear. This practice is however next to impossible during the heavy working hours and there are more chances of contracting the virus.
Furthermore, the traditional moisturizers are generally absorbed into the skin without any greasy feel. The researchers have long been trying to find a protective layer that lasts for long in between the skin and PPE. The protective layer will prevent the skin injuries and deformities that the healthcare workers and other PPE users face. Thus, the researchers found non-absorptive creams comprising of coconut oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax mixtures and powders, especially talcum powder to be the best option for long-lasting skin protection.
The need for a greasy residue that remains on the skin is found to help protect the skin. And for identifying the best-performing lubricants, there is a tailored tribometer built to study the friction between two layers such as the skin and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) which is used in PPE. The friction reduction was found to be higher in talcum powder and products containing coconut oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax. Moreover, the researchers are planning on finding the best skin-saving products to reduce the pain that the healthcare workers have to go through on a daily basis amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Market Research Store has published a report on global personal protective equipment (PPE) market. The report covers factors such as the market analytics, market valuation, competitive players, and regional development status that are found to have an influence on the market growth rate.