Assessment of N95 Respirator Decontamination and Re-use for SARS-CoV-2


June 29, 2020

In this study, Robert Fischer, et al, present their assessment findings on N95 respirator decontamination and re-use for SARS-CoV-2 (24 April 2020), using four different decontamination methods – UV radiation (260 – 285 nm), 70º C dry heat, 70% ethanol and vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP). The authors recommend that N95 respirators be decontaminated and re-used in times of shortage for up to three times for UV and HPV, and up to two times for dry heat. The authors further advise to take maximum care to ensure the proper functioning of the N95 respirator after each decontamination, using readily available qualitative fit testing tools, and to ensure that treatments are carried out for sufficient time to achieve the desired risk-reduction.