Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Decontamination of N95 Respirators, with Fit-Testing and Virologic Confirmation of Suitability for Re-Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic

T. Hans Derr; Melissa A. James; Chad V. Kuny; Prem P. Kandel; Matthew D. Beckman; Kevin L. Hockett; Mark A. Bates; Moriah L Szpara

In response to the ongoing pandemic spread of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is a critical demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) to limit the spread of infection. In healthcare settings, the need for PPE is especially critical, to protect frontline healthcare providers from infection and to reduce cross-contamination between individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and those not yet infected. In healthcare settings, N95 respirators (including surgical N95 respirators) are frequently used to provide protection from airborne infectious particles. The N95 terminology for these respirators refers to their ability to block at least 95 percent of the most penetrating particle sizes (0.1 -0.3 micron), . CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license It is made available under a author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.