Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to specialized equipment or clothing worn by frontline workers, including medical and sanitation workers, for protection against infectious diseases and materials. A standard PPE kit includes masks, gloves, face shields, gowns, head covers, shoe covers, goggles, respirators, and eye protection units. The kit prevents any contact with an infectious agent by creating a barrier between the healthcare worker and potential infectious material. Governments across the world have laid guidelines regarding the development of PPE to prevent work-related death, illness, and injury.
With the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), the requirement for PPE kits has exponential surged, as the virus has affected every corner of the world. The virus is still affecting millions of people and is straining healthcare resources of all countries by creating high demand for this protective gear. On account of the rising prevalence of COVID-19, the personal protective equipment market is expected to advance at a CAGR of 7.7% during 2020–2030. The market was valued at $48.7 billion in 2019 and it is projected to reach $112.7 billion by 2030.
Among all PPE products, the adoption of masks and respirators is significantly increasing, due to their rising consumption among individuals and in healthcare facilities. These end users are adopting masks and respirators in large quantities to meet the regulatory and precautionary requirements during the pandemic. According to the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF), the first quarter of 2020 recorded the delivery of nearly 1 million gowns, 1.8 million surgical masks, and 6.4 million gloves.
According to P&S Intelligence, North American personal protective equipment market is expected to generate the highest revenue in the coming years. This can be ascribed to the huge growth in COVID-19 cases and strict regulatory requirements. Moreover, the increase in demand for essential healthcare items has led to the surge in prices of PPE items, such as respiratory and surgical masks, in the region. With subsequent waves of COVID-19 outbreak, the sales and prices of PPE products will surge in North America.
In recent years, market players, such as 3M Company, UVEX ARBEITSSCHUTZ GmbH, Aero Pro Co. Ltd., Top Glove Corporation Bhd, Alpha Pro Tech Ltd., Ansell Ltd., Avon Rubber PLC, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, DuPont de Nemours Inc., Dynarex Corporation, Honeywell International Inc., Mölnlycke Health Care AB, Kowa Company Ltd., Gentex Corp., Mölnlycke Health Care AB, Joyson Pte. Ltd., Medline Industries Inc., SUPERMAX Corporation Berhad, Prestige Ameritech, and Cleanroom.de GmbH, are entering into numerous contracts with public entities and other organizations to expand their geographical presence and increase their market revenue.
For example, the U.S. Department of Defense, in April 2020, entered into financial contracts worth $133.0 million with 3M Company, Owens & Minor, and Honeywell International Inc. to obtain N95 respirators. The Department of Defense signed $76.0-million contract with 3M Company, $27.4-million contract with Honeywell International Inc., and $29.0-million contract with Owens & Minor. Similarly, the German government, in March 2020, signed a contract of $177.0 million with Italy. Under this contract, Germany is expected to send one million face masks to Italy to deal with the pandemic.
Thus, the rising cases of coronavirus and the increasing number of contracts between manufacturers and public utilities will fuel the sales of PPE items in the coming years.
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