Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for evidence-based approaches to decontamination and reuse of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). We sought to determine whether vapourized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) reduced SARS-CoV-2 bioburden on FFRs without compromising filtration efficiency. We also investigated coronavirus HCoV-229E as a surrogate for decontamination validation testing.
Methods: N95 FFRs were laced with SARS-CoV-2 or HCoV-229E and treated with VHP in a hospital reprocessing facility. After sterilization, viral burden was determined using viral outgrowth in a titration assay, and filtration efficiency of FFRs was tested against ATSM F2299 and NIOSH TEB-STP-APR-0059.
Results: Viable SARS-CoV-2 virus was not detected after VHP treatment. One replicate of the HCoV-229E laced FFRs yielded virus after processing. Unexpired N95 FFRs retained full filtration efficiency after VHP processing. Expired FFRs failed to meet design-specified filtration efficiency and therefore are unsuitable for reprocessing.
Discussion: In-hospital VHP is an effective decontaminant for SARS-CoV-2 on FFRs. Further, filtration efficiency of unexpired respirators is not affected by this decontamination process.
Conclusions: VHP is effective in inactivating SARS-CoV-2 on FFRs without compromising filtration efficiency. HCoV-229E is a suitable surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 for disinfection studies.
Keywords: COVID-19; HCoV-229E; Hydrogen peroxide vapor; Mask reprocessing; N95; Respiratory protection; SARS-CoV-2.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2., HCoV-229E, N95, Hydrogen peroxide vapor, Mask reprocessing, Respiratory protection, 【초록키워드】 Treatment, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic, hospital, SARS-CoV-2 virus, virus, Mask, HCoV, HCoV-229E, hydrogen peroxide, decontamination, respiratory, Efficiency, hydrogen, for disinfection, Respirator, Sterilization, viral burden, surrogate, reuse, filtration, effective, approach, investigated, replicate, reduced, treated, was determined, determine, not affected, retained, Viable, was tested, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, hospital, N95 respirator, Efficiency, filtration,