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[ ]the CDC stresses that the recommendation for extended use and reuse is strictly event-specific and pathogen-explicit, and should not become the standard of care 1 The primary hazard associated with reusing the single-use N95 respirator is contact transmission and thus the potential for cross-contamination 1 Only the manufacturers of face masks can provide guidance on how to decontaminate their specific products 1 Decontamination methods have been investigated by NIOSH\'s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory and other researchers Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation Studies of UVGI demonstrate a statistical reduction of tested virus particles on the N95 respirator 4-6 While the UVGI method provides promising results, the multiple layers of the N95 respirator make this method unlikely to destroy all surrogate viruses on the mask, depending on the type of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation lamp used [ ]treatment must be adjusted depending on the type of ultraviolet lamp used 1 Furthermore, UVGI also demonstrated some degree of degradation of the respirator structural material [ ]the CDC also points out concerns that arise due to the limited research evaluating the effect of moist heat method on decontamination with different types of biological pathogens 1 Vaporous hydrogen peroxide method The result of the VHP method showed minimal effect on structural material, performance, and fitting of the N95 respirator from a pilot study project conducted by the Battelle Memorial Institute 1,8 The comprehensive pilot study evaluated the efficacy of the \'Bioquell Clarus C\' device for the decontamination of N95 respirators for reuse The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on March 29, 2020, issued an emergency use authorization for the decontamination system by Battelle Memorial Institute 1,7 The FDA\'s approval of the critical care decontamination system (CCDS) of the Battelle Memorial Institute addressed the shortage of N95 respirator within the United States, for the removal of the SARS-CoV-2 on the respirator 7-9 The implementation of the authorization is an emergency strategy to help optimize supplies of the N95 respirator in response to the shortage due to the COVID19 pandemic [ ]it will help tackle the concerns of cross-contamination during the re-usage of the N95 respirator by healthcare workers
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