It happened again the other day. I asked for an N95 mask for my airway operating list.

One hospital provided, another said ‘no’.

Yes, preoperative swabs are negative, but we know that there is a false negative rate and I spend 3-4 hours in multiple patients’ nose, oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx and trachea in one session.

The risk for aerosolisation is high and I – as the surgeon standing 15-30 cm away from the patient’s mouth – am exposed.