Portable Biosafety Barrier Innovations to Limit Transmissibility of Infectious Diseases during Patient Care in Resource-limited Settings during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about a change in healthcare practices that are likely to persist into the foreseeable future. In particular, is the exposure risk to the health care practitioners in the emergency department (ED) and the intensive care units. Mitigating this issue in a low-resource setting remains challenging, and in particular, in developing nations such as India, where ED patient flows can overwhelm a system and its human resources, breaking down processes and infecting healthcare workers (HCWs). Technique: To tackle this and the possible lack of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), we designed and built biosafety barrier devices using local resources for use in patient stabilization, transport, and continued care in the ED or the intensive care units. Results: Four biosafety devices bio-safe levels 1 and 2, ultra ductile portable interface of interventions in infections, and tented transport trolley for transmissibility (4T) were tested for the feasibility of usage for patient care during the pandemic with simulation. Conclusions: We anticipate that with time it may be common practice for in situ isolation of patients in the emergency departments with a suspicion of an infectious disease. With the proof of concept, simulation, hospital infection control committee (HICC) approval, and trial run, we look to close the gaps that exist in these initial innovations.