HHS to issue healthcare worker protective suits

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials reached an agreement with DuPont to obtain Tyvek suits for frontline healthcare workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DuPont will deliver 450,000 Tyvek suits, via FedEx, to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) from its Hanoi, Vietnam manufacturing facility this week. Over the next five weeks, the company will deliver 2.25 million suits. There is an option for HHS to continue purchasing up to a total of 4.5 million Tyvek suits.

“This international operation enables the DuPont plant in Vietnam to produce Tyvek suits and ship them to the Strategic National Stockpile, allowing us to deploy suits to where healthcare workers need them most,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, HHS is leaving no stone unturned in securing the supplies needed to protect our heroic frontline healthcare workers. We are working around the world, in partnership with other federal agencies and the private sector, to find opportunities like this to drive PPE production, secure supplies, and accelerate delivery.”

HHS will work with public health authorities in states, territories, tribal nations, and certain cities, and with industry partners to ensure the Tyvek suits reach the healthcare facilities and workers most in need.

Tyvek is a versatile material providing a barrier against fine particles and chemicals. The coverall suits are part of the personal protective equipment (PPE) needed for healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients.

Other recommended PPE includes an N95 respirator or surgical face mask, a face shield or protective eyewear and gloves.