Extended use or reuse of N95 respirators during COVID-19 pandemic: An overview of national regulatory authority recommendations

• Published in: Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 2020-11, Vol.41 (11), p.1364-1366
• Main Authors: Kobayashi, Leticia Mitiko, Marins, Bianca Ramos, Costa, Patrícia Cristina Dos Santos, Perazzo, Hugo, Castro, Rodolfo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerosols; Betacoronavirus; Coronavirus; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Decontamination; Disease control; Disease transmission; Food contamination & poisoning; Health care; Health services; Health surveillance; Hong Kong; Humans; Hydrogen peroxide; Infection Control; Infections; Irradiation; Letter to the Editor; Masks; Medical equipment; Medical technology; Nursing; Pandemics; Pandemics - prevention & control; Personal protective equipment; Pneumonia, Viral; Prevention; Protective equipment; Respirators; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Shortages
• ISSN: 0899-823X; 1559-6834
• DOI: 10.1017/ice.2020.173

The extended use or reuse and/or implementation of decontamination methods of N95 respirators might be an alternative that can prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. [...]we have summarized recommendations regarding the extended use or reuse of N95 respirators, and we provide an overview of published information by regulatory authorities, surveillance organizations, and ministries of health of several countries. Australia, Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA); Austria, Austrian Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (AGES MEA), Austrian Federal Office for Safety in Health Care; China, China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA); Denmark, Danish Medicines Agency; India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Ireland, Health Product Regulatory Authority (HPRA); Italy, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA); Japan, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW); Korea, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS); Nigeria, National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Poland, The Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products (URPLWMiPB); Russia, Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare (Roszdravnadzor); Singapore, Health Sciences Authority Singapore (HSA); South Africa, Medicines Control Council (MCC); Spain, Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS); Switzerland, Swissmedic; United Kingdom, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). b Update: date mentioned in the document. Possible methods for decontamination cited as the most promising by the CDC were vaporous hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, and moist heat.9 In Brazil, the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) allowed the hospital infection control commissions (CCIHs) at each health service to create protocols for reuse by the same professional: use, withdrawal, packaging, assessment of integrity, time of use, and criteria for disposal.10 The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in each country or region might be influenced by the number of cases, the proportion of patients needing hospitalization, and the infrastructure of healthcare systems.