Prevention and Treatment of Skin Damage Caused by Personal Protective Equipment: Experience of the First-Line Clinicians Treating 2019-nCoV Infection

A novel coronavirus named 2019-nCoV was discovered in December 2019, and its resultant disease termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) subsequently broke out in Wuhan, China. The COVID-19 epidemic then spread rapidly throughout China and the world. The front-line healthcare workers needed to use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, goggles, and protective clothing for long periods of time. However, PPEmay cause a series of skin problems due to long-term sealing, friction, and pressure. The present review details the characteristics of skin damage caused by several main pieces of PPE, and the corresponding prevention and care measures required based on the experience of the first-line clinicians working to treat 2019-nCoV infection.