Should You Be Reusing N95 Masks?

The latest Coronavirus epidemic has contributed to a great deal of change in the way people live their everyday lives and communicate with medical professionals. The scarcity of N95 respirators has existed before, but not on this magnitude. The CDC does not suggest that the general population use N95 respirators as a defense against COVID-19 or other respiratory diseases: the only way to reduce infection is to minimize contact, and respirators are important to health workers that require an additional defense.

Sadly, several workers are using theirs again on the basis that any protection is better than no protection. Is that the easiest and most successful way to proceed, though? These masks were intended to be discarded after use, so it's important to ask in the face of an outbreak of disease: are N95 masks reusable?

FDA Respirator Mask Recommendations

The US Food and Drug Administration advises that N95 Respirators and Disposable Masks should not be shared or reused.

Both clinical face masks and N95 Mask are chosen to prevent different particles from entering the mouth. Clinical facial masks do not filter or restrict extremely tiny particles in the atmosphere, nor do they block notably well around the face to offer total protection. N95 Respirators are expected to provide a high seal around the face and are specially designed to sieve smaller particles — the 95 in the name comes from how, when tested, the respirator stops 95% of 0.3 micron-sized test particles.

Neither masks nor breathers are designed to be used more than once. If soiled or damaged, the wearer dangers being exposed to viruses and bacteria. Ideally, they must be removed and rightfully discarded with thorough hand-washing later.

CDC regulations for lengthened use and constrained re-use

Sadly, the best-case scenario might not be the one we have to work with. In the middle of a medical emergency like the one we are facing right now, often difficult choices need to be taken: in the case of protective masks, this may mean deciding which recommendations are more mandatory to follow in any particular case. The CDC provides some guidance for nursing staff who need to use or reuse plastic masks for a long time, which is not normal in non-emergency circumstances.

If you are looking for masks to buy for yourself, be it Cloth Mask or medical, get it from an established retail store.

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