Swim goggles are helping to save lives in the coronavirus pandemic: thousands of open-water-style swimming goggles have been donated by two of the biggest swim kit makers, Arena and Speedo, to frontline healthcare workers in Italy, Britain and the USA, the three nations with the highest numbers of deaths in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arena’s One Mask Goggles – Photo Courtesy: Arena
Based in Italy, Arena has donated thousands of One Mask goggles to the anaesthesia and intensive care unit of the Policlinico hospital in Milan. The virus can enter the body through the eyes: the mask helps increase the level of protection for doctors, nurses, porters and cleaners.
Speedo, the world’s leading swimwear brand, followed the example set by Arena when it donated 2,500 Speedo Biofuse Rift Mask Goggles to SHIELD, the cooperative of charitable campaigns working around-the-clock to locate, create and distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline healthcare workers in the UK.
Frontlines workers in Italy wearing Arena’s donated goggles – Photo Courtesy: Arena
Arena, which made its One Mask available free of charge to other hospitals in need at the height of Italy’s battle with the virus, noted:
“For over forty years, our mission as a sports brand has been to invite people to participate in sports in order to stay fit and healthy, and so we are proud to make a contribution to the safety of those who are every day in the line of fire, fighting for our health. The corona virus emergency has led us to using products we never thought could become part of our daily lives (masks, sanitizing gels, etc.), as well as repurposing existing products for new applications. The arena ONE mask is one such example, leaving the pool behind for several weeks to provide additional protection for those who face the battle against COVID-19 every day. The entire arena team sends a message of encouragement to all doctors and nurses in the wards during this challenging time.”
Speedo’s Biofuse Mask Goggles – Photo Courtesy: Speedo UK
Speedo’s Biofuse Mask, made for swimming and triathlons, has been repurposed to help the SHIELD project. The goggles donation as split three ways, going to Med Supply Drive UK, Heroes Support and Contractors Appeal, all rushing to get protective equipment to where it is most needed in the UK, where pandemic planning came late in the day and arrangements for supplying healthcare workers with PPE have fallen well shy of need.
Speedo USA has also donated 2,000 goggles to US hospital partners, via the Swim Across America organisation. So far, 4,500 Speedo mask goggles have gone out to healthcare workers in the UK and the USA “to help meet the growing demand for emergency PPE provision”.
Some Speedo manufacturing partners across the world have also adapted their manufacturing facilities for the production of PPE masks, visors and goggles in support of local initiatives.
Rob Hicking, Brand Director at Speedo said:
“We hope our goggle donation can help those frontline workers putting themselves at risk in order to protect us. They are our heroes and as a brand we want to do anything we can to support them. We are proud to see our international network of suppliers and partners adapting and coming together to join the fight to protect our frontline workers, worldwide.”
As of today, just shy of 4 million people have been infected with COVID-19, resulting in 270,765 deaths. Of the 4m infections, 1.3 million people have recovered so far. The United States has registered 1.3m infections and just shy of 77,000 deaths; the UK 207,000 infections and 30,615 deaths; and Italy 216,000 infections and 29.958 deaths, almost all of that in less than 6 weeks.
Krishnaraj Chaturvedi