Abstract
N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are essential for the protection of healthcare professionals and other high-risk groups against Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). In response to shortages in FFRs during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization permitting FFR decontamination and reuse. However, although industrial decontamination services are available at some large institutions, FFR decontamination is not widely accessible. To be effective, FFR decontamination must (1) inactivate the virus; (2) preserve FFR integrity, specifically fit and filtering capability; and (3) be non-toxic and safe. Here we identify and test at-home heat-based methods for FFR decontamination that meet these requirements using common household appliances. Our results identify potential protocols for simple and accessible FFR decontamination, while also highlighting unsuitable methods that may jeopardize FFR integrity.
Highlights
N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are essential for the protection of healthcare professionals and other high-risk groups against Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19)
The global increase in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in FFR s hortages[3]
Proper decontamination by UV-C light requires every surface to receive a sufficient dose of radiant energy, which is challenging to achieve for FFRs with three-dimensional shapes and metal inserts[10]
Summary
N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are essential for the protection of healthcare professionals and other high-risk groups against Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). The global increase in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in FFR s hortages[3] This led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue an emergency use authorization for N95 FFR reuse and decontamination during the pandemic[6]. Several decontamination methods have been shown to satisfy these criteria, including, ultraviolet (UV) germicidal irradiation (radiation-based); hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV; chemical-based); and heat-humidity treatments[9] These procedures can be difficult to implement at a large scale, and/or present safety risks at a small scale, especially in resource-limited environments. Proper decontamination by UV-C light requires every surface to receive a sufficient dose of radiant energy, which is challenging to achieve for FFRs with three-dimensional shapes and metal inserts[10] Another significant obstacle is that methods that provide full sterilization using heat, such as autoclaving, are likely to damage FFR integrity. Establishing safe and economical decontamination methods that can be implemented by the end user is both necessary and urgent
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