COVID-19: UK doctors advised to wear aprons amid shortage of protective gowns

United Kingdom is currently facing a short of personal protective equipment and media reports suggest that British healthcare staff has been advised by Public Health England to treat COVID-19 patients without proper gear. According to reports, Public Health England has made changes to its guidelines that earlier specified doctors to wear full-length, waterproof surgical gowns, w say that plastic aprons can be worn as an alternative option if protective gowns run out of stock. 

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Media reports suggest that doctors and nurses have been advised to re-use and wear ir already used surgical gowns because of short. British health secretary Matt Hancock while briefing a committee of parliamentarians admitted that United Kingdom was facing a short of gowns but assured m of delivering equipment where it was needed most by end of week as 55,000 more gowns were expected to arrive by April 17. 

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As of April 18, 52 medical staff members that include both doctors and nurses have lost ir lives in United Kingdom due to COVID-19. Health experts say deaths could have been avoided by providing proper PPE kits to carers. According to data by worldometer, United Kingdom has recorded more than 1,08,600 cases so far, of which over 14,500 people have lost ir lives. re are currently 93,772 active cases while 1,559 remain under critical condition. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

coronavirus pandemic has infected over 2.25 million people globally and has killed nearly 1,54,000 patients since it first broke out in December 2019. virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in Chinese city of Wuhan, initial epicentre of disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Currently, United States, Italy, Spain, France and United Kingdom are most affected countries in world with a recorded death toll of 14,000 and above.

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(Im Credit: AP)