History of PPE: Special reference to beaked masks during the Black Death and its aftermath (Sejarah PPE: Rujukan khas terhadap “beaked masks” semasa Wabak Hitam dan selepasnya)
Abstract
The background of the research will focus on the cases of the Black Death pandemic in 14th century onwards with particular review on the usage of beaked masks by plague doctors. This peculiar mask can be described as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at that time to protect the physicians from being infected when treating patients with Black Death symptoms. This research will evaluate the use of PPE from the medical, history, chemistry, technology and sociology perspectives to reach a detailed understanding of the benefits of wearing this peculiar mask in responding to the challenges presented by the epidemic. Hence, the ingredients and elements of the beaked masks need to be scrutinized in order to underscore the physicians’ efforts in inventing such equipment in protecting frontline workers like the plague doctors. Analyzing the evolution of PPE and medical protection will help the public to understand medical history and the roles of community in dealing with cataclysmic epidemics in the past. The research found that beaked masks created as PPE by the physicians were able to support them psychologically in dealing with their patients. Unfortunately, the design and property inside beaked masks do not provide the expected protection unlike PPE in modern time which produced significant result in reducing the possibility of disease transmission.
Keywords: epidemic; personal protective equipment (PPE); black death; plague doctors; beaked masks
Abstrak
Latar belakang kajian ini adalah tertumpu kepada kes-kes Wabak Hitam (Black Death) pada abad ke-14 dan yang selepasnya dengan meninjau penggunaan topeng berparuh burung (beaked masks) oleh para doktor wabak secara khusus. Topeng aneh ini dapat digambarkan sebagai Peralatan Pelindung Diri (PPE) pada waktu itu untuk melindungi para doktor daripada dijangkiti ketika sedang merawat pesakit yang bergejala Wabak Hitam. Penyelidikan ini akan menilai penggunaan PPE dari segi perspektif perubatan, sejarah, kimia, teknologi dan sosiologi untuk mencapai pemahaman yang terperinci mengenai manfaat memakai topeng pelik ini dalam menangani cabaran yang ditimbulkan oleh wabak ini. Maka, bahan dan elemen topeng berparuh burung ini perlu diteliti dalam memperlihatkan keberkesanan penciptaan topeng ini bagi melindungi para doktor wabak sebagai petugas barisan hadapan. Analisis evolusi PPE turut juga dibincangkan bagi membantu para masyarakat memahami sejarah perubatan dan menilai peranan para masyarakat dalam menangani wabak bencana pada masa lalu. Penyelidikan ini mendapati bahawa topeng berparuh burung yang diciptakan sebagai PPE oleh para doktor dapat menyokong mereka secara psikologi dalam menangani pesakit mereka. Sayangnya, reka bentuk dan harta benda di dalam topeng berparuh burung ini tidak memberikan perlindungan yang diharapkan iaitu tidak seperti PPE pada zaman moden yang menghasilkan kesan yang signifikan dalam mengurangkan penularan penyakit berjangkit.
Kata kunci: epidemik; peralatan perlindungan diri (PPE); wabak hitam; doktor wabak; topeng berparuh burung
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