Man wearing a face mask in front of a building

Selecting Personal Protective Equipment

  • by Sheri Belafsky

A recent graphic created by Dr. Phil Harber, Prof. of Public Health, University of Arizona and Prof. Emeritus, UCLA
illustrates the decision-making in selecting personal protective equipment.  In choosing the right protection, consider these factors:

Framework for Advising "Mask" Use to Protect User

  • Location:  Are you outdoors?  Indoors in a small space?
  • Degree of solitude:  Will you be interacting with other individuals? 
  • Task:  For healthcare workers, does your activity involve close interaction with known/suspected COVID-19 patients or expose you to aerosols generated by known/suspected COVID-19 patients?

Choosing appropriate PPE may be life-saving for some, and may also help conserve PPE for those who most need it.