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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信息图表。在 COVID-19 大流行期间减轻 PPE 引起的热应变的冷却策略

COVID-19 医护人员 (HCP) 使用个人防护设备 (PPE；即隔离衣、护目镜、口罩和呼吸器) 来安全地履行其医疗职责。然而，与普通的 HCP 服装套装相比，PPE 会在皮肤周围创造一个微环境，因为所使用的材料具有更高的耐热性和更低的水蒸气渗透性。1 因此，通过皮肤表面的热损失能力大大降低。因此，日常工作活动产生的代谢能量消耗不会完全流失到周围环境中，从而导致热劳损、热不适、出汗过多、脱水速度加快和心血管压力增加。为了适应热量损失，血液会从中央器官和骨骼肌重新分布到皮肤，