Abstract
The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 to Aotearoa/New Zealand in February 2020 triggered a massive response at multiple levels. Procurement and sustainability of medical supplies to hospitals and clinics during the then upcoming COVID-19 pandemic was one of the top priorities. Continuing access to new personal protective equipment (PPE) was not guaranteed; thus, disinfecting and reusing PPE was considered as a potential alternative. Here, we describe part of a local program intended to test and implement a system to disinfect PPE for potential reuse in New Zealand. We used filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) coupons inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 or clinically relevant multidrug-resistant pathogens (Acinetobacter baumannii Ab5075, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 LAC and cystic-fibrosis isolate Pseudomonas aeruginosa LESB58), to evaluate the potential use of ultraviolet-C germicidal irradiation (UV-C) or dry heat treatment to disinfect PPE. An applied UV-C dose of 1000 mJ/cm2 was sufficient to completely inactivate high doses of SARS-CoV-2; however, irregularities in the FFR coupons hindered the efficacy of UV-C to fully inactivate the virus, even at higher UV-C doses (2000 mJ/cm2). Conversely, incubating contaminated FFR coupons at 65 °C for 30 min or 70 °C for 15 min, was sufficient to block SARS-CoV-2 replication, even in the presence of mucin or a soil load (mimicking salivary or respiratory secretions, respectively). Dry heat (90 min at 75 °C to 80 °C) effectively killed 106 planktonic bacteria; however, even extending the incubation time up to two hours at 80 °C did not completely kill bacteria when grown in colony biofilms. Importantly, we also showed that FFR material can harbor replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 for up to 35 days at room temperature in the presence of a soil load. We are currently using these findings to optimize and establish a robust process for decontaminating, reusing, and reducing wastage of PPE in New Zealand.
Highlights
Introduction conditions of the Creative CommonsSARS-CoV-2 was first identified in Aotearoa/New Zealand in February 2020 [1]
We first used a virus that could be manipulated in a Physical Containment 2 (PC2) laboratory in case we needed to address any methodological issues
The same approach was used with SARS-CoV-2 and Vero cells in the Physical Containment 3 (PC3) facility
Summary
Introduction conditions of the Creative CommonsSARS-CoV-2 was first identified in Aotearoa/New Zealand ( referred to as New Zealand) in February 2020 [1]. In the middle of surges of SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants worldwide, New Zealand is one of the countries with the lowest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per capita (https://nzcoviddashboard.esr.cri.nz/#!/international, accessed on 26 November 2021). During the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply shortages with increased demand and interrupted supply chains resulted in shortages of critical hospital equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE) [7]. The global stock of PPE, including supply chains, was compromised to the point that it was difficult for many healthcare workers to have access to PPE, requiring the World Health Organization to produce guidance as to the rational use of PPE in severe shortages (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52145140, accessed on 11 October 2021)
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