AMU faculty develop Protection Box for health workers to fight COVID 19

In line with its intent on finding Corona virus-fighting innovation to thwart the spread of COVID 19, Aligarh Muslim University‘s two young faculty members belonging to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) and the Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology) developed a cost-effective Infection ‘Protection Box’ to shield physicians and nurses during COVID-19 patient intubations, reducing their risk of infection.

The infection protection box developed by Assistant Professors, Dr Shahna Ali (Assistant Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology) and Dr Yasir Rafat (Assistant Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering) is cost-effective and low-maintenance equipment.

Dr Shahna said that the box would provide ‘one extra layer of protection’ for medical personnel. It will reduce the health risks for those treating patients in respiratory distress while experiencing symptoms of Corona virus or those confirmed positive with COVID 19.

“Intubations put medical practitioners at greater risk of infection as virus particles become aerosolised when a tube is inserted into a patient’s trachea to keep the airway open. It is done before connecting to a ventilator”, she added.

Dr Shahna further said that these boxes are spacious with excellent visibility and are usable after being wiped down and disinfected.

She said, the health care workers wear the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and follow infection control practices, but that does not reduce the risk the virus transmission during mechanical ventilation and intubation processes.

“Since patients often cough up particles into the faces of health workers while being placed on ventilators, there was a need to design and develop these boxes to better shield doctors and nurses with an additional layer of protection”, pointed out Dr Shahna.