As the Covid-19 or Coronavirus pandemic continues to stretch our supplies, here are some ideas that might help get extended use from our precious limited resources.
SUMMARY
There is no definitive “best practice” for Extending the Life of My N95 Mask or N95 re-use and re-processing. Based on the resources available at each institution, the optimal strategy for each person or institution will vary.
Please conduct your own research to determine which potential re-use method is best for your equipment.
REFERENCES
[a] Residue on the mask may adversely affect the integrity of the material after re-processing. It is recommended that foundation, sunscreen, or other forms of make-up not be worn underneath.
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1816576O/disinfection-of-disposable-respirators-technical-bulletin.pdf
van Doremalen N, Bushmaker T, Morris DH, et al. Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1 [published online ahead of print, 2020 Mar 17]. N Engl J Med. 2020;10.1056/NEJMc2004973. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2004973
https://www.facs.org/covid-19/ppe/additional
Correspondence posted by Dr. Amanda Deskins on March 23, 2020 in the following JAMA Editorial: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763590
https://utrf.tennessee.edu/information-faqs-performance-protection-sterilization-of-masks-against-covid-19/
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8126f89327941b9453eeef/t/5e8540847a8fab4a37c36a00/1585791109260/200401_N95DECON_Heat_technicalreport_v1.1_final.pdf
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8126f89327941b9453eeef/t/5e8541760211467623b1e4e4/1585791351199/200401_N95DECON_UV_technicalreport_v1.2_final.pdf
https://www.nebraskamed.com/sites/default/files/documents/covid-19/n-95-decon-process.pdf
https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/03/27/umass-memorial-disinfects-masks-ultraviolet-light
https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-regulatory-science/investigating-decontamination-and-reuse-respirators-public-health-emergencies
https://www.fda.gov/media/136529/download
https://medschool.duke.edu/about-us/news-and-communications/med-school-blog/duke-starts-novel-decontamination-n95-masks-help-relieve-shortages
https://www.battelle.org/newsroom/news-details/battelle-deploys-decontamination-system-for-reusing-n95-masks
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2018-130/pdfs/2018-130.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB2018130
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf