AHN to sterilize, reuse N95 masks for coronavirus protection

A sterilization technique developed by Allegheny Health Network will allow health care workers to reuse their N95 masks up to three times, hospital system officials said Tuesday.

As covid-19 cases have increased nationwide, the supply of masks has dwindled. The N95 masks, fitted with respirators, filter out droplets and aerosolized particles.

The sterilization process, approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, began over the weekend at the network’s nine surgical hospitals, said spokesman Dan Laurent.

The respirator masks generally cannot be reused, creating the dire shortage. That shortage led the Food and Drug Administration to allow hospitals to sterilize and reuse the masks. The sterilization equipment is that which is typically used on surgical tools.

That sterilization equipment has been freed up as most hospitals postpone elective surgeries, officials said.

Hope Waltenbaugh, AHN’s vice president of surgical services, said there are multiple benefits to reusing the masks.

“First and foremost, it prolongs the life of our masks and helps to ensure that our front-line caregivers are always protected,” Waltenbaugh said. “It also cuts down on hospital waste, and potentially opens the door to sterilizing and reprocessing other types of masks, or other forms of personal protective equipment.”

A release from the hospital network explained the sterilization process.

Used masks will be taken to the hospital’s centralized sterilization department and inspected for wear and tear, and any that are damaged will be thrown out.

Masks chosen for reuse will be sealed into sterilizing envelopes and loaded into a sterilization machine. The machine can sterilize up to 40 masks at a time. They can be recycled twice before they’re tossed, and hospital officials said they hope they can recycle up to 80% of its N95 masks.