CS 316124-A 03/30/2020

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

Use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) When 

Caring for Patients with Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19

Before caring for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, healthcare personnel (HCP) must:

• Receive comprehensive training on when and what PPE is necessary, how to don (put on) and doff (take off) PPE, limitations of 

PPE, and proper care, maintenance, and disposal of PPE.

• Demonstrate competency in performing appropriate infection control practices and procedures.

CS 315838-A 03/20/2020

cdc.gov/COVID19

COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment 

(PPE) for Healthcare Personnel

Preferred PPE – Use N95 or Higher Respirator

N95 or higher respirator

When respirators are not 

available, use the best available 

alternative, like a facemask.

One pair of clean, 

non-sterile gloves

Face shield or goggles

Isolation gown

CS 315838-B 03/20/2020

cdc.gov/COVID19

COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment 

(PPE) for Healthcare Personnel

Acceptable Alternative PPE – Use Facemask

Facemask

N95 or higher respirators are 

preferred but facemasks are an 

acceptable alternative.

One pair of clean, 

non-sterile gloves

Face shield or goggles

Isolation gown

Remember:

• PPE must be donned correctly before entering the patient area (e.g., isolation room, unit if cohorting).

• PPE must remain in place and be worn correctly for the duration of work in potentially contaminated areas. PPE should not 

be adjusted (e.g., retying gown, adjusting respirator/facemask) during patient care. 

• PPE must be removed slowly and deliberately in a sequence that prevents self-contamination. A step-by-step process 

should be developed and used during training and patient care.

Donning (putting on the gear):

More than one donning method may be acceptable. Training and practice using your 

healthcare facility’s procedure is critical. Below is one example of donning.

1. Identify and gather the proper PPE to don. Ensure choice of gown 

size is correct (based on training).

2. Perform hand hygiene using hand sanitizer.

3. Put on isolation gown. Tie all of the ties on the gown. Assistance may 

be needed by another HCP.

4. Put on NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirator or 

higher (use a facemask if a respirator is not available).

If the respirator has a nosepiece, it should be fitted to the nose with both 

hands, not bent or tented. Do not pinch the nosepiece with one hand. 

Respirator/facemask should be extended under chin. Both your mouth 

and nose should be protected. Do not wear respirator/facemask under 

your chin or store in scrubs pocket between patients.* 

» Respirator: Respirator straps should be placed on crown of head (top 

strap) and base of neck (bottom strap). Perform a user seal check each 

time you put on the respirator. 

» Facemask: Mask ties should be secured on crown of head (top tie) and 

base of neck (bottom tie). If mask has loops, hook them appropriately 

around your ears. 

5. Put on face shield or goggles. Face shields provide full face coverage. 

Goggles also provide excellent protection for eyes, but fogging is common. 

6. Perform hand hygiene before putting on gloves. Gloves should cover 

the cuff (wrist) of gown.

7. HCP may now enter patient room. 

Doffing (taking off the gear):

More than one doffing method may be acceptable. Training and practice using your healthcare 

facility’s procedure is critical. Below is one example of doffing. 

1. Remove gloves. Ensure glove removal does not cause additional contamination of 

hands. Gloves can be removed using more than one technique (e.g., glove-in-glove or 

bird beak). 

2. Remove gown. Untie all ties (or unsnap all buttons). Some gown ties can be broken 

rather than untied. Do so in gentle manner, avoiding a forceful movement. Reach up to 

the shoulders and carefully pull gown down and away from the body. Rolling the gown 

down is an acceptable approach. Dispose in trash receptacle.*

3. HCP may now exit patient room.

4. Perform hand hygiene.

5. Remove face shield or goggles. Carefully remove face shield or goggles by grabbing 

the strap and pulling upwards and away from head. Do not touch the front of face 

shield or goggles. 

6. Remove and discard respirator (or facemask if used instead of respirator).*

Do not touch the front of the respirator or facemask. 

» Respirator: Remove the bottom strap by touching only the strap and bring it carefully 

over the head. Grasp the top strap and bring it carefully over the head, and then pull 

the respirator away from the face without touching the front of the respirator.

» Facemask: Carefully untie (or unhook from the ears) and pull away from face without 

touching the front. 

7. Perform hand hygiene after removing the respirator/facemask and before 

putting it on again if your workplace is practicing reuse.

*Facilities implementing reuse or extended use of PPE will need 

to adjust their donning and doffing procedures to accommodate 

those practices.