2020 Retrospective

Have you used an alcohol gel today? Habits like this will be with us for a long time from now. But what other effects on the life of each citizen can we immediately see?

The first and most obvious is the use of disposable protective masks, especially in closed environments, a simple and efficient method of containing droplets released into the air, as well as the inhalation of microorganisms.

Social distancing has also gained strength and will likely continue to do so, restricting closeness and touching only to the closest, closest people.

Let’s look at other habits that gained strength in 2020 and are here to stay:

- Increased attention on symptoms and suspicions of contagion. The trade itself has already adapted to the needs, with measures such as the requirement of masks, temperature measurement at the entrance of establishments, peoples access control, among others.

- Hygiene of hands and objects in contact with more people, a basic measure to control the transmission of diseases.

The pandemic also brought us a new look at ways of working and placed the “home office” at the center of public debate. After all, it is possible to use the tools that technology provides us and perform many tasks at home, saving time, resources, common work space, and prioritizing social distancing.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, much has been said about what measures could be taken to contain the spread of diseases. And hygiene care remains one of the most effective means for this, starting with hand hygiene, both for health professionals and the general population.

Washing hands with soap and water and, when this is not possible, sanitizing them with alcohol gel has become a necessity, a habit that people are increasingly adopting.

In addition to hands, some practices are always welcome, such as cleaning doorknobs, surfaces and objects commonly used by people.

Among other problems in the social and economic sphere, one of the issues that hit the industry hard was the scarcity of manufacturing inputs. The areas are the most varied, from raw materials for large industries to basic materials for small local entrepreneurs. The effect of the scarcity of raw materials results in a price increase for the final consumer, reducing sales and directly impacting the countrys economic machine.

Initially, there was an expectation of a drop in consumption, a natural result of social distancing. With no clear perspective of demand recovery, a good part of the national industry maintained a below-normal production, contributing to the low supply of products needed by the entrepreneur. However, there was a faster than expected resumption of consumption thanks to the emergency aid paid to a portion of the population, not allowing a large part of the industry to keep up with the same pace.

And of course, a huge demand for certain products specific to the fight against the pandemic. Masks, alcohol gel, cleaning products, hospital supplies, among others, all products that, in a very short space of time, are required by society as a whole.

From the industrys perspective, one detail was put to the test: its ability to anticipate and meet the urgent demands of society, even if this requires reviewing business models and reinventing itself.

Demands for gel alcohol and masks were the most evident needs. Items previously widely used by health professionals, the production of masks and alcohol gel suffered its impact at the beginning of the pandemic, with shortages in supermarkets and pharmacies, and skyrocketing prices.

Profills was a pioneer in solving this problem and started to manufacture machines for the production of disposable protective masks. We were the first industry in Brazil to introduce this equipment to the market and the disposable masks manufactured by Máquinas Profills are already protecting many people across the country.

As in other areas of health, the much greater need and production capacity could not compromise the quality of the products supplied. And Profills do Brasils effort to contribute to this issue arose precisely from the urgent needs of the population, supplying Filling Machines for flexible packaging with state-of-the-art technology capable of maintaining the gel alcohol production line and, on another front, supplying the industry with Machines for the production of disposable masks in non-woven material (TNT) in accordance with all the technical requirements for combating the Coronavirus.

It is Profills do Brasil and Brazilian society together to end the pandemic. And making sure 2021 is our perfect year.