I’m married to a nursing supervisor of a home health agency.  Here’s the answer I got:

1. N95 masks can be reused in a home setting if it is not contaminated on the inner surface, used with a single client (patient) only (and by a single user only.  Hopefully, that is already assumed), and not wet.  If it is to be reused, it should be stored in a paper bag (plastic would encourage mold contamination).

 

2.  If the above conditions are held, there is no need to sanitize them.  In other words, no sanitization protocol is appropriate.

 

3.  Regarding building their own mask:  NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!  (that is a direct quote).

 

 

 

All

What do you say to a healthcare provider (assume they are in your core family) who has been told to ration N95 masks. Told to reuse them.

Healthcare provider wants to know about sanitizing them; about effectiveness; about building their own mask.

FYI, here is some NIH published data:

 

Reduction to exposure by virus-like particulates. Based on article published by NIH

Mask Type                                          % reduction of particulates

N95                                                                 99

SURGICAL MASK                                        74

HOMEMADE TEA CLOTH MASK             58

 

Also, the Elan Musk companies delivered 50,000 N95 masks to a hospital today.

 

nl

 

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