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Infographic. Cooling strategies to attenuate PPE-induced heat strain during the COVID-19 pandemic
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  1. Coen CWG Bongers1,2,
  2. Johannus Q de Korte1,
  3. Milene Catoire3,
  4. Job Greefhorst3,
  5. Maria T E Hopman1,
  6. Boris Kingma3,4,
  7. Thijs M H Eijsvogels1
  1. 1 Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  2. 2 Faculty of Health Sciences, Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  3. 3 The Netherlands Organization for Applied Sciences, Unit Defence, Safety and Security, TNO, Soesterberg, The Netherlands
  4. 4 Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section for Integrative Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  1. Correspondence to Dr Coen CWG Bongers, Department of Physiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; coen.bongers{at}radboudumc.nl
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102528

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    COVID-19 healthcare personnel (HCP) use personal protective equipment (PPE; ie, isolation gowns, eye protection, facemasks and respirators) to safely perform their medical duties. However, PPE creates a microenvironment around the skin due to a higher thermal resistance and lower water vapour permeability of the materials being used compared with the normal clothing ensemble of HCP.1 Consequently, heat loss capacity via the skin surface is greatly reduced. The metabolic energy expenditure from regular working activities could, therefore, not be completely lost to the surrounding environment, leading to heat strain, thermal discomfort, excessive sweating, faster dehydration and an increased cardiovascular strain. To accommodate heat loss, blood redistribution from central organs and skeletal muscle to the skin occurs, which will further exacerbate the physiological strain, ultimately leading to shorter work tolerance times and a reduced physical …

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    © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. This article is made freely available for use in accordance with BMJ’s website terms and conditions for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic or until otherwise determined by BMJ. You may use, download and print the article for any lawful, non-commercial purpose (including text and data mining) provided that all copyright notices and trade marks are retained.https://bmj.com/coronavirus/usage