Reusability of Facemasks During an Influenza Pandemic Facing the Flu (2006) / Chapter Skim
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4 Findings and Recommendations
4 Findings and Recommendations
Pages 57-68
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From page 57... ...
Thus, reality may require that disposable N95 respirators and medical masks be pushed beyond their approved uses in the hope that they can offer some level of protection beyond their intended limits of use. Moreover, individuals with no access to respirators or masks, even disposables, may feel driven to invent their own respiratory protection measures; for example, they may don woven masks not approved for medical uses in the United States, or use household items such as towels or sheets.
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From page 58... ...
Despite the extensive literature on respiratory protection, data are severely limited in some critical areas, leading the committee to rely on its collective judgment about what would constitute responsible and safe reuse of N95 filtering facepiece respirators or medical masks. Existing literature and guidance indicate that there is a hierarchy of respiratory protection, with some respirators offering higher levels of safety than others.
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From page 59... ...
Finally, none of these devices protects against contact transmission, and appropriate hand hygiene is necessary when using and after removing these devices. In this final chapter, the committee provides findings and recommendations about reuse of N95 filtering facepiece respirators and medical masks and recommends a research agenda that could help the nation prepare for near- and long-term pandemic threats.
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From page 60... ...
If an individual user needs to reuse his or her own N95 filtering facepiece respirator, the committee recommends it be done in the following manner: · Protect the respirator from external surface contamination when there is a high risk of exposure to influenza (i.e., by placing a medical mask or cleanable faceshield over the respirator so as to prevent surface contamination but not compromise the device's fit)
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From page 61... ...
FDA informed the committee that it has not cleared any medical mask/ N95 filtering facepice respirator or medical mask as a reusable device. The agency also indicated that if such a device became available it would perform an expedited review of the premarket submission to meet the public health need.
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From page 62... ...
Because it is not clear that cloth masks or improvised masks can meet these standards and without better testing and more research, cloth masks or improvised masks generally have not been recommended as effective respiratory protective devices or as devices that would prevent exposure to splashes. Finding 6: Woven cloth masks currently available in Asia are being reused in the clinical setting after washing and decontamination.
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From page 63... ...
RESEARCH AGENDA The committee was hampered in its work by the lack of reliable data in many areas of concern, in particular the routes and modes of influenza transmission. Consistent with its broader charge, the committee makes recommendations to DHHS on a research agenda ranging from the most fundamental aspects of infectious disease to more focused research opportunities in two major areas: (1)
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From page 64... ...
a. In the areas of design and materials technology, DHHS should sponsor and/or conduct research on the use of alternative materials, including bioactive fibers, for disposable N95 respirators to allow for extended use (e.g., polyester filter media)
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From page 65... ...
This comprehensive research agenda is expected to lead to the development of the specifications for an effective, reusable cloth mask that could be made readily available to the general public in the event of an influenza pandemic. Moreover, such reusable cloth masks may have a positive environmental impact (unlike disposables, which do not biodegrade in landfills)
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From page 66... ...
d. DHHS should sponsor and/or conduct research on issues related to public education on and compliance with respiratory protection guide lines, including the importance of proper fit and the need for hand hygiene after handling respiratory protection.
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From page 67... ...
The public is likely to forgive lack of knowledge but will not be willing to trust public health officials in the next instance if they have in any way been misinformed or misled. REFERENCES CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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