“Don, doff, discard” to “don, doff, decontaminate”—FFR and mask integrity and inactivation of a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate and a norovirus following multiple vaporised hydrogen peroxide-, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation-, and dry heat decontaminations

Background As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic accelerates, supply of personal protective equipment remains under strain. To combat shortages, re-use surgical masks and filtering facepiece respirators has been recommended. Prior decontamination is paramount to these typically single-use only items and, without compromising their integrity, must guarantee inactivation other contaminating pathogens. Aim We provide information on effect time-dependent passive (infectivity loss over time during room temperature storage in a breathable bag) evaluate surrogate non-enveloped model virus as well mask respirator integrity following active multiple-cycle vaporised hydrogen peroxide (VHP), ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), dry heat (DH) decontamination. Methods Masks respirators, inoculated with infectious porcine respiratory coronavirus or murine norovirus, were submitted single multiple cycles; viruses recovered from sample materials viral titres measured via TCID 50 assay. In parallel, filtration efficiency tests breathability performed according EN standard 14683 NIOSH regulations. Results discussion Infectious norovirus remained detectable up five seven days Single cycles VHP-, UVGI-, DH shown not adversely affect bacterial masks. Single- UVGI did efficiency, while VHP induced decrease after one three cycles. Multiple slightly decreased airflow resistance but breathability. efficiently inactivated both five, three, cycles, permitting demonstration infectivity by more than orders magnitude. This multi-disciplinal approach provides important how often given PPE item may be safely reused.