All articles tagged with #ppe
Scientists have developed a universal antiviral treatment using a rare immune mutation, potentially serving as biological PPE for future pandemics by providing immunity against unknown viruses, with successful tests in animals and plans for human trials.
A construction industry awards event organized by On The Tools has been criticized for sexism after hiring female performers in skin-tight, builder-themed outfits. Diversity campaigners, including Faye Allen and Harriet Waley-Cohen, condemned the event for perpetuating sexist stereotypes and undermining efforts to make the industry more inclusive. On The Tools CEO Lee Wilcox apologized, acknowledging the oversight and expressing regret for offending attendees. The incident highlights ongoing challenges for women in construction, where many face sexualization and unsafe work environments.
California health officials are distributing over 2 million pieces of personal protective equipment to farmworkers in response to confirmed human cases of bird flu. The state is utilizing its pandemic stockpile, which has been built up since the COVID-19 pandemic, to equip up to 10,000 farmworkers with necessary safety gear. Despite the current low risk of human-to-human transmission, California is applying lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance its preparedness for potential public health emergencies.
The CDC confirmed a third human case of bird flu in the U.S., this time in a Michigan dairy worker, raising concerns due to traditional flu-like symptoms. The CDC emphasizes the importance of PPE for farm workers and is conducting genetic analysis of the virus. Georgia, which has not yet reported cases, is ramping up preventive measures. The risk to the general public remains low, but monitoring and preventive efforts are being intensified.
Hundreds of doctors are planning to sue the NHS over claims that inadequate PPE on the frontline has left them with long COVID, disabled, and in financial ruin. The group, represented by the legal firm Bond Turner, alleges that the NHS decided to downgrade guidance on PPE as the virus took hold in March 2020, resulting in injury and financial loss for healthcare workers. The doctors are calling for others who suffered similar circumstances to join their legal action, with many reporting job loss, financial struggles, and long-term health complications. The NHS and government have acknowledged mistakes in PPE provision, while the legal challenge of proving negligence at that time presents a considerable legal challenge for the claimants.
Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman, who profited £65m from providing £203m of allegedly unusable Covid-19 PPE, are under investigation by the National Crime Agency. Mone, who repeatedly lied about her involvement, recently gave a disastrous interview with the BBC. The Conservative government's failure to address the issue of profiteering during the pandemic is eroding trust in politics.
Michelle Mone, Baroness Mone of Mayfair, is facing scrutiny for allegedly selling defective PPE to the UK government through a company set up by her husband. Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, is unable to answer questions regarding how the funds were transferred from the public purse to an Isle of Man trust fund. The matter is now the subject of civil litigation.
Doug Barrowman, the husband of former Conservative peer Michelle Mone, has admitted to making millions of pounds from government contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mone, who initially denied any involvement with her husband's company PPE Medpro, has now admitted that she stood to benefit from around £60 million of profit made on the PPE Medpro contracts. The UK government is suing PPE Medpro for breach of contract and unjust enrichment, and the couple is being investigated by the National Crime Agency.
The director general of the Department of Health and Social Care's Global Health division, Clara Swinson, has defended the UK's pandemic plan, which focused on influenza, stating that it was a reasonable decision at the time. She acknowledged that the plan could have been updated in some areas, such as technology, but the basic premise remained the same. Swinson also stated that the plan had been updated to reflect the need for a strategy that covered all routes of transmission. The inquiry also heard that vulnerable people were not directly considered during pandemic planning, and that the UK did not run out of PPE nationally during the pandemic.