
A study found prolonged mask-wearing–specifically, the prolonged use of N95 masks–negatively affected hospital workers, causing headaches, acne and skin breakdown, and impaired cognition.
Our editors cover the COVID-19 pandemic from the eyes of healthcare and frontline workers, data scientists, and the entire coalition helping us get PPE to those who need it most.
A study found prolonged mask-wearing–specifically, the prolonged use of N95 masks–negatively affected hospital workers, causing headaches, acne and skin breakdown, and impaired cognition.
Dr. Ali Raja is Executive Vice-Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. He is a co-founder of Get Us PPE, a nonprofit that gets personal protective equipment (PPE) to those who need it most.
Two governors announced their states would be lifting their respective mask mandates. Meanwhile, in the United States, healthcare workers continue to ration personal protective equipment (PPE), revealing an ongoing healthcare crisis caused by issues in the supply chain.
While there is widespread agreement that students learn better in in-person settings, there is much less agreement about how to bring about this outcome in the face of unequal resources during a pandemic, especially since some schools lack the adequate PPE to reopen safely.
Millions of N95 masks were exported earlier this year, while American healthcare workers risk their lives every day by reusing PPE, exposing issues in the PPE Supply Chain.
This month’s Shortage Index shows healthcare workers still lack adequate PPE like N95 masks, nitrile gloves, and disinfectant wipes, leading healthcare workers to reuse N95 masks and gloves. Additionally, new data on PPE prices shows the price of N95 masks and nitrile gloves has shot up since the pandemic.