U.S. Pandemic Could Severely Strain Face Mask, Other PPE Supply Pipeline

Many agencies and professional societies have weighed in on reuse issues and most recommend one-time use and disposal of medical masks and filtering face-piece respirators or, at the least, that a wearer change the device when it becomes moist. Generally, medical masks should be changed between uses and whenever they become moist. The FDA and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend disposal of medical masks after one use by one patient, and that HCWs don a new medical mask or respirator each time they come into contact with a new patient. Because laundering disposable medical masks will destroy their barrier properties, there is no way to disinfect them. The IOM committee heard from manufacturers who said that currently marketed disposable medical masks are made of materials that are likely to deteriorate with the usual methods of disinfection. And because medical masks are intended for disposal (and are submitted to FDA with that labeling), manufacturers have no incentive to develop methods for decontamination. Additionally, manufacturers said they would incur increased liability if devices designed and intended for disposal were recommended for reuse.²

The IOM report states, “If a sufficient supply of respirators is not available, NIOSH and CDC recommend that healthcare facilities may consider reuse as long as the device has not been obviously soiled or damaged (e.g., creased or torn). Reuse may increase the potential for contamination; however, this risk must be balanced against the need to provide full respiratory protection to healthcare personnel. The agency recommends that if disposable N95 respirators are reused for contact with SARS patients, institutions should implement a procedure for safer reuse to prevent contamination through contact with infectious droplets on the outside of the respirator.”²