Did my PPE training yesterday afternoon, where we learn how to put on and take off our antiviral protective gear. There were thirty people queueing for the 15 or so available spots, which was itself anxiety provoking. I can see how photos of empty supermarket shelves can trigger hoarding. Really our animal brains are very simplistic. Luckily I was at the front of the queue, not because I’m a doctor, but because I’d already sacrificed my spot at an earlier session for someone else.
Our instructor was a senior nurse who went to Africa a couple of years ago to help with the Ebola response, which certainly gave her credibility. She would have been wearing her PPE gear in 30+ degree heat, too, which must have been sweaty and horrible. She told me confidentially afterwards that I was her star pupil for that session, which was particularly gratifying as I thought she got unnecessarily cross when I accidentally threw my gown on the floor whilst doffing. In contrast, the brain surgeon I was sharing a table with had to have a remedial lesson afterwards because his glasses kept falling off.
I feel much better having done the training. There were quite a few steps involved, that must be done in strictly the correct order, but we’ve been told there’ll always be a nurse there to guide us through it each time we have get the gear on and off. You wear it for a maximum of six hours at a time, because you can’t eat, drink or go to the loo while wearing it, but it does seem an awful waste of disposables – the entire outfit has to be incinerated each time you take it off. I really really hope this doesn’t end up my standard daily work wear for the next however many months.
