Disinfectant wipes are used to disinfect handheld non-critical patient care items including stethoscopes, ultrasound machines, and other medical equipment. The disinfection of these items is even more critical during a global pandemic.
But throughout the past 9+ months, disinfectant wipes (among other items) have been in short supply and considerably more expensive.
In August, the cost of disinfectant wipes spiked as much as seven times their usual price.
Non-profit, Get Us PPE, reported in October that their most requested item was disinfectant wipes. In mid-November their data showed that 67% of healthcare facilities reported that they are in need of more disinfectant wipes and 34% reported that they are completely out.
While hundreds of wipe manufacturers have been approved to kill SARS-CoV-2, the supply chain has yet to catch up- leaving many facilities having to re-prioritize where and when to use wipes. Limiting the use of wipes can put patients and healthcare workers at risk of being infected with not only COVID, but also other infectious diseases like C. diff and MRSA.
Read the full article from Medscape here.
