The first case of the COVID-19 pandemic was found in Wuhan, China. The pandemic has influenced the whole planet with its significant impacts on the economy and businesses across the globe. The COVID-19 spread worldwide in unprecedented ways due to its high infectious and contagious nature. As a result, the most significant medical challenge in the 21st century is yet to be faced by physicians worldwide. Though the emergence of the virus can be tracked back to Asia, many European countries and the U.S. have been struck massively by the pandemic. The virus has spread across all regions ranging from North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa up to South America. The COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO) due to its increased spread across the globe. After the pandemic declaration, various countries announced the complete lockdown such as the Russia, Europe and Asian countries, to decrease its spread. Regardless of the pandemic of COVID-19, the demand for fluoropolymer medical equipment has increased in healthcare applications. Various types of fluoropolymers such as PFTE polytetrafluoroethylene, FEP fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), and more are used in hospitals other healthcare sectors. Fluoropolymer belongs to the thermoplastic polymer family and is known for its high stability with strong bonding nature. In medical sectors, they are used for packaging medical liquids and sprays due to their high thermostable capacity. According to the situation report of 11th May 2021 by World Health Organization (WHO) stated 157 million cases of coronavirus patients had been reported globally and 3.3 million patients are dead due to the coronavirus. America is leading in cumulative cases with a record of 64 million and 1.5 million death rates. At the same time, nearly 1.45 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered globally. The outbreak of COVID-19 has a significant impact on the healthcare and supply chain of various medical products, including fluoropolymer-based materials.
Price Impact
The COVID 19 had a devastating impact on the global economy. Several establishments have to remain shut while others scale down the operations or put on hold expansion plans as they tried to survive the unprecedented crisis. However, the demand for fluoropolymer medical equipment and products has been raising because of increasing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and high hospital admissions during this pandemic. Therefore, despite lockdowns and supply disruption crises during the pandemic, the companies are managing online sales and delivery of fluoropolymer products. They are also maintaining fair prices owing to the high demand for these products in the market.
For instance,
- Teflon-based tapes for medical equipment or kit wrapping cost around USD 5.00 for four rolls.
The COVID-19 impact has not affected the price of fluoropolymer products at a high level because of advanced online sales and innovative delivery options available with utmost safety concerns.
Impact On Demand
The COVID-19 pandemic has lifted the fluoropolymer market from its niche pedestal to the mainstream sector. However, even before the pandemic, the demand for fluoropolymer was highly interested due to rising hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).
For instance,
- As the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that in American hospitals, HAIs account for 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year. Out of these, 32 percent of all healthcare-acquired conditions are urinary tract infections, 22 percent are surgical site infections, 15 percent are pneumonia (lung infections) and 14 percent are bloodstream infections.
In the current scenario, the rising transmission rate of coronavirus has made high hospital admissions for various chronic diseases and respective demand for medical equipment such as disposable gloves and hospital gowns. Due to this, fluoropolymer products are highly prevailing in the market. Because of their high durability and stability, these polymers are widely preferred by healthcare sectors. Several companies operating in other domains are eager to enter. Some have already entered the landscape of fluoropolymer market to increase their revenue by meeting the emergent need of various medical and disposable hospital products to prevent virus infection. The demand is further rising in local clinics and small laboratories for medical liquids and equipment packaging.
The rising geriatric population and obese individuals because of unsanitary food habits with lack of physical exercise has increased chronic illness cases such as diabetes on hype. These life-threatening diseases are compelled to be maintained and treated often, raising the diagnosis requirements globally in hospitals. These affirmative factors boost the demand for fluoropolymer products among healthcare professionals.
Impact on Supply Chain
The COVID-19 has created a significant impact on the supply chain of the fluoropolymer market. The sudden attack of COVID-19 and its subsequent effects on trade and movement restrictions has resulted in a shutdown of vast countries globally, resulting in disrupted supply chains due to limited materials and workforce and slowdown or stopping manufacturing. Moreover, several manufacturing companies are retooling priority manufacturing to produce other essential medical supplies and equipment such as ventilators. But since fluoropolymer products are in high demand by various healthcare sectors, the supply chain is again gaining speed due to an increase in order from consumers. The government allows transport vehicles to import and export fluoropolymer medical products such as gloves and masks, which hospitals and other healthcare sectors highly require. Additionally, the manufacturers are also taking crucial steps to ensure the availability of raw materials by and also they have to look into the quality of products. Manufacturers need to take necessary steps about production processes, shifting to other facilities if required, changes in quality assurance, costs and procedures related to screening of workforce and offering of care if needed, changes in working hours, and others to maintain their supply chain.
To minimize supply chain crises, the government has been firmly monitoring the supply chain to assume that the COVID-19 outbreak may adversely impact the supply chain of a medical product, including shortages of disposable fluoropolymer products for various purposes in healthcare sectors in countries globally or potential disruptions in supply chains.
Many organizations are looking forward to improving and diversified the supply chain model in all aspects to manage such a crucial situation. The resulting COVID-19 pandemic has shown the various ways for supply chain management, which may be effective by innovative solutions initiated by market players.
Conclusion
The impact of the novel COVID-19 virus is expected to leave a long-lasting effect on each healthcare sector. The outbreak of COVID-19 prompted citizens to deal with confusion regarding the virus and its management. The virus poses a risk to human life and has caused economic distress and severe emotional strain. It produced a ripple effect that gave rise to a new collection of requirements and needs that were not much needed earlier and the essential one being the fluoropolymer products such as high durable gloves, hospital gowns, masks and medical packaging equipment, which is highly required in hospitals, clinics, laboratories and home healthcare setups.
It is estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak had a positive impact on the growth of the fluoropolymer market due to the requirement of disposable products in hospitals to avoid hospital-acquired infections. Due to its high demand, these products will resume with steady ease of supply restrictions by the government. Moreover, many international governments, including the U.S., Europe and Asia’s healthcare organizations, have supported the supply of fluoropolymer products in the medical and home healthcare arena due to high priority and essential sanitary requirements in the crucial health crisis period. Many government bodies and significant market players are closely associated with patients as well as pharma industries for safe packaging of hospital disposables considering contagious nature of virus and improvement of future economics with disposable and stable fluoropolymers products.
