A doctor working at a private hospital in Bhopal has devised a brilliant gear to ensure medicos and healthcare workers on COVID-19 duty are not exposed to coronavirus.
The doctor has built air bubbles, which are entirely sealed transparent face coverings, reported NDTV. They are filled with virus-free compressed air so that the COVID-19 warriors do not contract the disease while treating patients.
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Most air bubbles are connected to a compressor kept 200 feet away from the hospital building, but there are some air bubbles that are portable so that doctors can interact with patients while wearing these.
Cardiologist Dr Skand Trivedi, who built the simple yet effective device, said it was specifically made to ensure the safety of healthcare workers, doctors, and nurses who attend to coronavirus patients.
Explaining why this air bubble will help prevent new infections, Dr Trivedi said since COVID-19 spreads primarily through breathing contaminated air, it is important that the medicos and healthcare workers on coronavirus duty do not inhale the air exhaled by patients. These warriors have to take care of coronavirus patients for eight hours at a stretch, so they must breathe clean air, which the air bubble provides.
The doctor added: “We have lost some of our colleagues. I would be happy if this model is replicated by other COVID-19 facilities as doctors and healthcare workers are not only getting COVID-19, but also dying because of it. This air bubble can be the biggest tribute to all Corona Warriors.”
The staff at the private hospital are currently doing their rounds using the air bubble and they are reportedly comfortable using it, unlike PPE kits that cause suffocation and dehydration since they cannot be taken off till the shift ends.