The N95 respirator masks are in short supply (along with much of the other needed PPE) and doctors have had to reuse them which puts everyone in danger. Researchers at Duke University have devised a way to decontaminate these masks so that they can safely be reused.
The process uses vaporized hydrogen peroxide and it can kill microbial contaminants that are on the masks once they’ve been worn. The decontaminated masks can be cleaned in batches of 500 at once and takes four hours. Part of the process is also reviewing the masks to ensure that they maintain their shape as well.
This can greatly help the shortage and keep both healthcare professionals and patients safe as we move through this pandemic.