What's the news. Effective and simple methods for decontaminating filtering facepiece respirators (N95 respirators) include ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, moist heat, and microwave-generated steam processing, a March 3, 2021, review in JAMA says. Ultraviolet irradiation and vaporized hydrogen peroxide were the least damaging to respirators, the study found. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends reprocessing of filtering facepiece respirators only in extreme circumstances, which have unfortunately existed for the entire duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study authors say.

Why it matters. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a critical shortage of filtering facepiece respirators, and inadequate supply has resulted in widespread reprocessing of these devices, the authors say, even though N95 respirators are designed for single use.

How ECRI can help. ECRI's COVID-19 Resource Center provides resources to help healthcare and aging services organizations protect patients, residents, and workers. The Healthcare Recovery Center—COVID-19 also offers recovery-related guidance, tools, and resources across ECRI's entire solution suite.