Rationale and process for N95 respirator sanitation and re-use in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nThe novel SARS-CoV-2 virus was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and is notable for being highly contagious and potentially lethal and is mainly spread by droplet transmission. The US healthcare system s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenged by a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), especially N95 respirators. Restricted use, re-use, and sanitation of PPE have been widely adopted to provide protection for frontline healthcare workers caring for often critically ill and highly contagious patients. This objective of this manuscript is to describe our validated process for N95 respirator sanitation.\n\n\nDESIGN\nProcess development, validation, and implementation.\n\n\nSETTING\nLevel-I urban academic medical center.\n\n\nMETHODS\nA multidisciplinary team developed a novel evidence-based process for N95 respirator re-processing and sanitation using ultraviolet (UV) light. Dose measurement, structural integrity, moisture content, particle filtration, fit testing, and environmental testing were performed for both quality control and validation of the process.\n\n\nRESULTS\nThe process achieved UV light dosing for sanitation while maintaining the functional and structural integrity of the N95 respirators, with a daily potential throughput capacity of ˜12,000 masks. This process has supported our health system to provide respiratory PPE to all frontline team members.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThis novel method of N95 respirator sanitation can safely enable re-use of the N95 respirator essential for healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19. Our high-throughput process can extend local supplies of this critical PPE until the national supply is replenished.