Since the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the shortage of masks has become a problem in the medical field, but when specialized academic societies surveyed medical institutions in various places where there are specialists in infection control, the shortage of masks became a problem. At that time, it was found that two-thirds of the facilities were originally reusing disposable items.
The survey was conducted by the Occupational Infection Control Study Group and the Japanese Society for Infection Control and Prevention from February to last month, and responses were received from doctors and nurses in charge of infection control at 76 medical institutions nationwide.
When asked about the lack of protective equipment to prevent infection, 76% of the high-performance "N95" masks were in short supply, 70% of general surgical masks, 66% of medical gowns, and medical care. The gloves for use were 33%.
In many cases, disposable masks were reused when they were in short supply, and 67% of those who answered that they were short of N95 masks and surgical masks said they were reused.
In addition, in the survey, the quality of masks delivered from local governments was guaranteed, such as "I want you to distribute masks that have been confirmed to have a certain level of performance" or "I think it is difficult because there are limits, but I want you to support the same type." There were many requests for opinions.
Professor Hiroyuki Kunishima of St. Marianna University School of Medicine surveyed, "Unless in exceptional cases, reuse is not desirable because it poses a risk of infection to healthcare professionals and patients. Ensuring sufficient protective equipment, which is a major premise of medical care, is required. I need it. "