The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued its second emergency use authorization (EUA) to decontaminate compatible N95 or N95-equivalent respirators for reuse by health care workers battling the coronavirus.
FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., said hospitals can now decontaminate compatible N95 respirators using vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilizers that are readily available in approximately 2,000 U.S. hospitals.
Through this system, up to 10 respirators can be decontaminated at one time through a process that takes approximately 28 minutes to complete. Each respirator can be processed up to 10 times for single-user reuse.
It is important to remember that reusing PPE, including masks, is intended for emergency situations only and is not standard safety protocol. This authorization announcement comes at a time when hospitals and other medical facilities are struggling to replenish their stock of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), like respirators.
As health care and other essential workers navigate the disrupted supply chain, the AFL-CIO released a fact sheet on the types of face protections -- respiratory and other barriers -- to show the purpose, utility, protective level and certifications required to know they are effective.
You can access it here, and make sure to keep checking for updates at usw.org/covid19.