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Emergency N95 Mask Decontamination Protocols
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Stanford Medicine, and Duke University have each established protocols for the decontamination and reuse of N95 masks.
N95 mask decontamination is inexpensive and easy to achieve with equipment readily available to most medical professionals. There is no reason healthcare providers, first responders, and others cannot have the N95 masks essential to their protection on the job.
What hospitals and medical entities need to create their own decontamination processes is knowledge and a roadmap. Both can be found in the protocols below.
Please note, there are Protocols AND New Data Fact Sheets for each protocol. IT IS IMPERTIVE THAT BOTH BE READ.
Mask Decontamination Protocols
Last checked for Updates: 4-17-20
University of Nebraska Medical Center
(4-10-20)
Policies & FAQ
(4/4/20)
Stanford Medicine
(3-25-20)
(Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide)
Duke University
(3-26-20)
Stanford Medicine
(3/25/20)
Webinar on Protocols
New Data Fact Sheets with Relevant Updates to Original Protocols (N95decon.org)
(4/1/20)
(4/2/20)
(4/2/20)
(4/8/20)
New Technical Reports with Relevant Updates to Original Protocols (N95decon.org)
(4/1/20)
(4/2/20)
(4/2/20)
* Potential Issue
* There is emerging evidence (per N95decon.org) that Sterrad machines, which deliver plasma H2O2, may destroy filter efficiency at multiple settings. It appears Sterrad has received an EUA from the FDA (4/13/20). Please be aware an issue has been raised that has not yet been cleared by the original source. Steris machines, a similar name but different company, deliver vaporized H2O2 that has good data so far. Update pending. (4-8-20) Steris received an FDA EUA (see below.)
Federal Guidelines
FDA UPDATE: (4/20) "FDA recognizes that, when alternatives, such as FDA-cleared masks or respirators, are unavailable, individuals, including healthcare professionals, might improvise PPE. FDA does not intend to object to individuals’ distribution and use of improvised PPE when no alternatives, such as FDA-cleared masks or respirators, are available." (Page 3 of "Enforcement Policy..." document below.)
CDC: Decontamination and Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators (4/9/20)
CDC: Recommended Guidance for Extended Use and Limited Reuse of N95
Filtering Facepiece Respirators in Healthcare Settings (3/27/20)
CDC: Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators (4/16/20)
FDA: Enforcement Policy for Face Masks and Resperators During the Coronavirus
Disease (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency Guidance for Industry and Food
and Drug Administration Staff (April 2020)
FDA: N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks (Face Mask) (4/5/20)
Disclaimer: The information on this website is free and intended for the sole purpose of saving lives during the Coronavirus pandemic. Reuse of N95 masks is currently a violation of NIOSH certification. For this reason any entity using this information should seek approval from their hospital administration and/or management before implementing any of these methods.
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