Recently, we are witnessing an emerging global public health crisis with the inception and outspread of the 2019 novel Coronavirus Disease (2019-nCoV), causing respiratory illness termed as COVID-19. The COVID-19 virus is transmitted between people when they are in close proximity to each other. Preventive and mitigation measures are critical in the fight against COVID-19 disruptions. Personal Protective Equipment, also known as PPE, is a crucial effective measure against the virus. PPEs are the dedicated equipment or clothing worn by an individual for protection against infectious diseases. However, surging demand, low product quality standards, and disruptions in the global supply chain of PPEs amid the COVID-19 pandemic are putting the lives of public and frontline healthcare workers at risk. Hence it becomes crucial to retrospect the lifecycle of PPEs. This paper attempts to present a discussion of PPEs from the product lifecycle perspective, beginning at its conception, after that traversing through various stages of design and manufacturing, and then finally ending with end-of-life issues such as disposal and recycling. Additionally, we also critically outline things that went wrong recently in PPE supply chain management and propose possible productive measures for future pandemics of this nature.

最近，随着 2019 年新型冠状病毒病 (2019-nCoV) 的出现和蔓延，我们目睹了一场新出现的全球公共卫生危机，导致称为 COVID-19 的呼吸道疾病。当人们彼此靠近时，COVID-19 病毒会在人与人之间传播。预防和缓解措施对于对抗 COVID-19 干扰至关重要。个人防护设备，也称为PPE，是对抗病毒的关键有效措施。个人防护装备是个人为预防传染病而穿戴的专用设备或服装。然而，在 COVID-19 大流行期间，需求激增、产品质量标准低以及全球 PPE 供应链中断，使公共和一线医护人员的生命处于危险之中。因此，回顾 PPE 的生命周期变得至关重要。本文试图从产品生命周期的角度来讨论 PPE，从其概念开始，然后遍历设计和制造的各个阶段，最后以报废和回收等问题结束。此外，我们还批判性地概述了最近在 PPE 供应链管理中出现的问题，并针对这种性质的未来流行病提出了可能的生产措施。