PPE explainer

This project was runner-up for the "Build a thing" prize on our Pandemics (May 2024) course. The text below is an excerpt from the final project.

If another pandemic like Covid-19 happens, we will need to use many strategies to fight it. Some of these strategies will depend on the exact kind of pandemic it is. For example, vaccines will need to be developed to specifically target the pathogen. Medicines and medical protocols will also need to be tailored to the symptoms the pathogen causes.

However, there is one strategy for fighting pandemics that doesn't depend on the details of the pandemic: personal protective equipment, or PPE. PPE includes items like gloves, masks, eyewear, face shields, and gowns. All these items have one function: to keep pathogens away from their wearer. PPE forms a physical barrier that stops pathogens from coming into contact with people, and thus stops people from getting infected.

Because PPE doesn't need to be tailored to match a pathogen, it offers a huge advantage: it can be prepared in advance. We can stockpile PPE now to be used in case of a pandemic, and incentivize manufacturers now to be ready to produce lots of PPE.

Let's consider how PPE could be used in case of a potential future pandemic. In a pandemic, the first order of business will be to keep society running until we find a cure for the pandemic. This means essential workers will need to keep working. They will only do this if they feel safe that they won't get infected while working, which is where PPE can help.

We will focus on the trickiest type of PPE: masks. Masks are tricky because they only work well when they fit their wearer's face extremely well, as opposed to gowns or gloves which have more of a margin of error. Masks are also tricky because they can't be made of a complete barrier, like rubber gloves or plastic face shields. Instead, they need to allow air through while filtering out pathogens. If we face difficulties manufacturing or procuring PPE, they'll likely show up in masks.

Full project

You can view the full project here.