In late January of 2020, a surgical gown shortage was reported within the United States. This originated with a recall of Level 2 gowns by Cardinal Health due to potential contamination. The recall included in excess of 9 million units.

Of these, 7.7 million were sent to nearly 3,000 facilities across the nation. As if that was not bad enough, the coronavirus COVID-19 transitioned into a pandemic, putting an even higher amount of strain on the shortage in surgical gowns and other types of personal protective equipment.

While not considered to be effective in combating viruses, embroidered custom polos may help patients and medical professionals in identifying key personnel during these times.

Identification Matters

In a world where hospitals, emergency departments, and other medical facilities are quickly becoming taxed and overwhelmed by potential COVID-19 cases, seasonal influenza patients, and individuals suffering from a vast array of other health-related issues, the protective gowns that many health professionals wear are quickly becoming depleted.

This is an issue for personal safety, but it is also an issue when it comes to identification. Most patients identify nurses and doctors by these surgical gowns.

If your medical facility is running low, it is possible to integrate polo shirts with custom embroidery so that patients and other essential personnel are able to identify those that have medical expertise.

Polo Shirts as Personal Protective Equipment

COVID-19 is considered to be a highly contagious and deadly disease. In terms of personal protective equipment, surgical gowns are highly recommended. Polo shirts are not considered to be “personal protective equipment”. However, when combined with other items – such as aprons or smocks – they may help enhance the protection of health care personnel.

Many health care professionals may choose to wear them under clear ponchos or similar items in order to protect themselves during the surgical gown shortage.

If working in the medical field, the polo should be long sleeved and contain embroidered lettering that state the name of the facility where the individual works and their job title. This will help patients and other personnel identify that person and their function within the facility.

Standard Personal Protective Equipment for Medical Personnel

According to OSHA, “personal protective equipment” is defined as “special types of clothing or types of equipment that is worn by an individual for the purpose and intent of protection against materials that are considered to be infectious.

Examples of these items include gloves, gowns/aprons, masks, respirators, goggles, and face shields. Polo shirts do not necessarily count, but will help in identification.

For proper protection, it is advised to cover the shirt with a protective layer, as mentioned previously – such as a clear, disposable poncho or an apron. If you select aprons, you may have those embroidered, too.

If you would like to learn more about cheap custom polo embroidery or other types of embroidered items for the medical personnel that work at your facility, contact us here at Epolos.com today by calling: 888-353-7656