Int J Med. Public Health. 2020; 10(4):166-168. A Multifaceted Peer Reviewed Journal in the feld of Medicine and Public Health www.ijmedph.org | www.journalonweb.com/ijmedph Original Article International Journal of Medicine and Public Health, Vol 10, Issue 4, Oct-Dec, 2020 166 Sumita Shankar 1 , Arunava Saha 2, *, Limalemla Jamir 3 , Rakesh Kakkar 3 1 Plastic Surgery, Rangaraya Medical College, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. 2 Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, INDIA. 3 Department of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS Mangalagiri, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. Correspondence Dr. Arunava Saha Junior Clinical Assistant, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, Tamil Nadu, INDIA. Mobile no: +91-8754923454 Email: saha.arunava100@gmail.com History • Submission Date: 15-05-2020 • Revised Date: 19-06-2020 • Accepted Date: 25-08-2020 DOI : 10.5530/ijmedph.2020.4.36 Article Available online http://www.ijmedph.org/v10/i4 Copyright © 2020 Phcog.Net. This is an open- access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Cite this article : Shankar S, Saha A, Jamir L, Kakkar R. Protection at Portal of Entry (PPE) with Povidone Iodine for COVID-19. Int J Med Public Health. 2020;10(4):166-8. ABSTRACT Background: The current Coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 15 million people worldwide and has been responsible for more than 630,000 deaths worldwide, a signifcant number of which has been healthcare professionals. Povidone-iodine (PVP-I) has been known as microbicidal agent since the past few decades and it has also demonstrated better anti-viral activity than other antiseptics in a few in vitro studies against other coronaviruses (SARS- CoV and MERSCoV). Povidone iodine has also been found to be a safe and effective solution to be used as a gargle or intranasally. Aim and Objectives: Through our study, we would like to propose the application of PVP-I in appropriate and safe concentration through nasal application and oropharyngeal wash to limit the spread of the virus from infected patients to healthcare workers and thus reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Methods: This application is to be done according to the proposed protocol, which has been devised keeping in mind the feasibility, safety and ef fcacy of PVP-I application. This should be used regularly by patients with a suspected or confrmed COVID-19 infection to not only prevent the spread, but also by healthcare workers prior to treating such patients, or performing perioral or nasal procedures during the pandemic, regardless of the status of the patient. Patients undergoing such procedures should also be treated with PVP-I. The total iodine exposure according to the proposed protocol has been found to be within previously recorded safe limits. Conclusion: We hypothesize that usage of PVP-I as a personal protective equipment at the portal of entry would help decrease the rates of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Key words: Betadine, Coronavirus, Gargle, Povidone Iodine, Pandemic. Protection at Portal of Entry (PPE) with Povidone Iodine for COVID-19 Sumita Shankar 1 , Arunava Saha 2, *, Limalemla Jamir 3 , Rakesh Kakkar 3 BACKGROUND Te COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, an enveloped non- segmented positive-sense RNA viruses, belonging to the family Coronaviridae and the order Nidovirales, has infected more than 15 million people worldwide and has been responsible for more than 630,000 deaths. 1 Signifcant portion of those afected have been healthcare workers, with a Chinese study showing that this particular group represents about 4 percent of the infected cases, so far about 1700 bedside clinicians being infected. 2,3 Tese are dynamic numbers and are constantly increasing on an hourly basis. A severe supply-demand mismatch for proper personal protective equipment, triggered by panic buying, misuse and hoarding, has led to the frontline workers being dangerously ill-equipped while taking care of such infected patients. 3 Tis has placed an unforeseen extra burden on the healthcare system at such a crucial time due to lack of health personnel who are themselves succumbing to the infection. Additionally, a signifcant risk has been found for non-infected patients who are already hospitalised and remain in close proximity to these infected patients, due to a suspected nosocomial transmission. An Intensive care unit carries one of the highest risks of transmission, as procedures such as non-invasive ventilation, intubation and suction have been known to generate tremendous amounts of bio-aerosol. Tese particles remain suspended in air and viable on surfaces for longer duration and have much higher chances of causing contact transmission to healthcare professionals and other patients. 3 Patient saliva has also been found to have a high viral load in COVID-19, 4 and it is the need of the hour to ensure adequate prevention and prophylaxis for healthcare professionals to prevent further spread of the disease amongst them. In a more recent study it was noticed that the nasopharynx appears to have a higher viral load than that found in the oropharynx. 4,5 Te recommended diagnostic testing requires collection of nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens that necessitates close contact between healthcare workers and the patients. 4 According to the CDC, in-depth knowledge of the portals of entry and modes of transmission can help to develop appropriate control measures, which are usually directed against the segment in the infection chain that is most susceptible to intervention, which