A person wearing a surgical gown talking to a person wearing full PPE

Novel Coronavirus and COVID-19 Outbreak

3M Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Considerations

3M is committed to supporting the public health and government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global demand for supplies used by our customers to treat and help protect people, such as respirators, is currently exceeding supply. 3M expects demand for respirators to outpace supply for the foreseeable future. 3M is ramping up production at its manufacturing facilities around the world, including in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America as quickly as possible. Around the world, 3M is working with customers, distributors, government and medical officials to help get suppliesto where they are most needed. 3M is also closely monitoring and responding to any potential impact on our broader supply chain

The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020.

The symptoms of the illness associated with this novel coronavirus are similar to those caused by influenza and other respiratory illnesses and include coughing, shortness of breath, fever, and difficulty breathing. According to the World Health Organization’s Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020 (PDF, 1.48 MB), certain portions of the population are more likely to develop severe cases requiring hospitalization including: the elderly and those with underlying conditions of the lungs, heart, or immune system. A portion of people infected with this novel coronavirus have died.

The WHO also confrmed airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus that causes the disease; however, PPE use has not been recommended for members of the public. The WHO and CDC have recommended airborne precautions for healthcare workers for certain interactions with patients with suspected or known cases of COVID-19.