Current Understanding of Ultraviolet-C Decontamination of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to critical shortages of single-use N95 filtering facepiece respirators. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation as one of the most promising decontamination methods during crisis-capacity surges; however, understanding the mechanism of pathogen inactivation and post-treatment respirator performance is central to effective UV-C decontamination. Objective: We summarize the UV-C N95 decontamination evidence and identify key metrics. Methods: We evaluate the peer-reviewed literature on UV-C decontamination to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, viral analogues, and other microorganisms inoculated on N95s, as well as the resulting effect on respirator fit and filtration. Where peer-rev

SUBMITTER: Grist SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9134326 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature