Opinion: Intubation boxes: an extra layer of safety or a false sense of security?
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is so infectious that protecting health care workers from it as they treat patients is an important issue in the fight against this pandemic. Reliable personal protective equipment is central to that cause. But recent innovations, like so-called intubation boxes, could do more harm than good.
A key way the virus is spread is through tiny airborne particles. That’s why health care workers need to use protective equipment such as N95 masks or powered air-purified respirators. The right protective equipment is especially important during intubation — placing a breathing tube into a patient’s airway and then connecting it to a ventilator that essentially breathes for the patient.
