Essential Workers Deserve Better PPE Recommendations
Some 50 million essential workers report for duty every day in America. They are our bus drivers, childcare providers, transportation and food service workers — the people who keep our economy going. So, why are they not receiving the same PPE protection guidance as frontline healthcare workers?
On February 10, 2021 the CDC updated their PPE guidance to include wearing two face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19 among the general public. The PPE recommendation for healthcare workers and vaccine administrators calls for a surgical grade or N95 mask with eye protection (face shield or goggles). The official guidance does not suggest healthcare workers wear two masks without eye protection, largely because healthcare workers often work in high-risk environments where airborne transmission of the virus is possible.
The latest CDC findings on COVID-19 suggest that close-range aerosol transmission and inhalation are likely routes for virus transmission. So, why aren’t PPE recommendations being changed for the millions of essential workers that are risking their health every day in schools, warehouses, public transit and many other jobs that require close-range contact with the public?
Is a health worker administering vaccine to Joe Biden at greater risk than a school teacher or bus driver?
President Biden received two vaccine shots prior to his inauguration. Each time, the health worker wore a face shield in addition to an N95 mask. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for the health worker in this situation is to wear eye protection and a tight fitting mask.
Why is this not the standard recommendation for transit workers, teachers and essential workers everywhere?
