Doffing personal protective equipment in times of COVID-19

Bernardes, Gilcélia Correia Santos; Godoi, Ana Paula Nogueira; de Almeida, Nívea Aparecida; Nogueira, Leilismara Sousa; Pinheiro, Melina Barros

COVID-19, a disease caused by a coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has worried health authorities in Brazil and worldwide because of its high infectivity and rapid spread. Within this context, health care workers are at greater risk of infection for being in close contact with patients, which is inherent to their work activities. To reduce the risk, protective measures must be adopted and personal protective equipment is essential. However, the process of removing personal protective equipment, named doffing, is as important as its correct use and can be a source of contamination for workers, especially when equipment is lacking in the market and lifespan is increased. Therefore, this review aimed to discuss the process of doffing personal protective equipment and its correct sequence based on data available in the literature.