To investigate the problems and discomforts in using the personal protective equipment(PPE)by the staff of Anhui Provincial CDC, so as to provide suggestions for the subsequent research and development of PPE with more humanized and comfortable characteristics.

All respondents were investigated employing a self-designed electronic questionnaire.

A total of 1 232 questionnaires were distributed and 996 valid questionnaires were recovered with an effective recovery rate of 80.8%. The goggle fogging(59.9%), difficulty in taking off the shoulder (33.6%), and damage of PPE(32.1%)were the main problems during PPE use. 98.3% of the workers reported discomfort during PPE use, and the main reasons were sweating and dampness(85.8%), followed by skin indentation or injury (72.0%). And the discomfort was obvious in staffs who undertook epidemiological investigation and samples collection and testing.

At present, PPE mainly has problems and discomforts during the use of PPE. Therefore, on the basis of standardized use of PPE, technological innovation should be accelerated to develop more comfortable and user-friendly protective equipment for the prevention of COVID-19 infection and various infectious diseases.