Article - Premier Pretoria PPE and Corporate Wholesale Suppliers
25 Oct 2020
Right from the very beginning, when the first cases of the potentially lethal COVID-19 pandemic were diagnosed in South Africa during the latter part of the first quarter of 2020, followed by the imposition of the nationwide lockdown, personal protective equipment (PPE) has been in the news.
Sold Out in Pretoria and Surrounds
Initially, just prior to the announcement of the South African national lockdown and its preventative measures, many members of the public were unable to obtain PPE’s most fundamental item – the face mask. Pharmacies and retail suppliers, who normally stocked such items and supplied them to customers, were completely sold out of face masks.
Furthermore, these most conveniently accessible outlets were unable to obtain more from manufacturers and suppliers in Pretoria and other major centres, which might become involved in first-line measures to cope with pandemic conditions.
Swamped with Orders
In turn, many, if not most PPE suppliers in our immediate XCO Group’s region, Pretoria and surrounding Gauteng areas, were swamped with orders. However, they were also unable to obtain sufficient supply from their suppliers and manufacturers of effective, approved face masks and other basic personal PPE, like disposable gloves, sanitisers, face shields, screens, and the like.
Additionally, it was also extremely difficult to get access to imported stock and supplies from reliable international suppliers, because they were also overrun with sudden, unforeseen orders that they were unable to satisfy, once they had sold out their stock. COVID-19 restrictions caused many manufacturers and essential equipment suppliers to operate remotely, where possible. Other Pretoria, nationally-based and overseas suppliers, like XCO Group, continued operating with a dedicated skeleton staff.
Curb and Contain Coronavirus
Both the lockdown, throughout all its stages, numbering from 5 – the most prohibitive and stringent – to 1, which this country has not yet reached (as at the last week of August 2020), combined with the use of PPE, are intended to curb and contain the spread and cross-contamination of this fierce virus.
Coronavirus, another name for COVID-19, passes from person to person, either directly, or is transmitted via a contaminated item or lately, according to some, via airborne droplets that contain infectious agents.
Containment Measures
Persons that are confirmed to have been infected with the virus are expected to self-isolate, be placed into an official isolation facility or, if symptomatic and ill, be admitted into a designated isolation ward in a hospital, clinic, or special healthcare facility, where they can be tended by medical personnel.
Prevention
Nonetheless, prevention is always far, far better than cure. In addition to adhering strictly to specified social distancing requirements, frequent hand washing, sanitising hands, surfaces and environments which are deemed essential and are open to the public, using PPE is one of the only other ways of preventing and combatting COVID-19, for which there is currently no vaccination or cure. The infection is viral and not fungal or bacterial.
Avoidance
Close personal contact, such as hugging, kissing, embracing, and shaking of hands is to be avoided, according to lockdown rules and regulations. The same applies to social, educational, entertainment, leisure, hospitality, travel, and workplace group gatherings.
It is furthermore recommended that elderly persons, people with pre-existing, health conditions, and compromised immune systems, as well as those taking medication for chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and respiratory impairment, completely avoid leaving home and going out, if at all possible.
Essential PPE Face Mask in Pretoria and Beyond
The first and most essential PPE item to be adopted and worn upon leaving home is the personal face mask, typically made of two or three layers of cloth that allows the mask wearer to inhale and exhale, without directly exposing the mouth, nose and nostrils, through which infectious micro-particles may enter the body.
Because this virus is so infectious and spreads so easily and rapidly, it’s important for people to avoid touching their faces, especially the eyes, nose, and mouth, as well as the surface of the face that surrounds these vital parts of the body. Masks should be washed after each use, or disposed of safely if they are not of a washable type.
Pretoria-Based Essential Suppliers, XCO Group
XCO Group has always been involved with supplying PPE, but our ranges of this essential merchandise and associated options have increased during the pandemic. Because of the nature of our business, we’ve continued functioning, albeit mainly remotely with a limited skeleton staff at our Pretoria premises. We’re one of the top authorised, essential Pretoria-based PPE suppliers, which has proudly provided this and certain neighbouring and other international countries with life-preserving, protective items.