Is a surgical mask outside COVID rooms enough PPE

Nurses COVID

Published

Specializes in Pediatrics.

Hello all, I've signed up at my hospital to be an "observer" meaning I'll be outside of the COVID rooms on the COVID unit (some are negative pressure, but not all), helping the nurses in the room take off their PPE. I won't be going inside the room, although I assume aerosolizing activities will be going on inside the rooms (intubation, coughing, treatments, etc). The nurses in the room will have an N95, but I will only have a single surgical mask for the shift. What do you think my likelihood is for me catching this? I'm mid 20's but I'm a caretaker for my elderly father with commodities and don't want to unintentionally spread this to him. I'm debating on calling my manager and cancelling these shifts for that reason, but I'm having a hard time assessing what my actual risk would be and I am unsure of what I should do. I asked for an N95 but they won't give one to me. Thank you for helping me.

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