论文信息 - The importance of the minimum dosage necessary for UVC decontamination of N95 respirators during the COVID‐19 pandemic

The importance of the minimum dosage necessary for UVC decontamination of N95 respirators during the COVID‐19 pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a press report highlighting the severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is endangering healthcare workers worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.1 To meet this urgent need, healthcare institutions across the world have begun to utilize the germicidal properties of ultraviolet C (UVC) to decontaminate N95 respirators so that they can be reused.2 It is clearly crucial that the dose of UVC delivered is sufficient to kill any viable SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of the COVID-19 pandemic, that may be present on the respirators.

[1] J. Gelfand,et al. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation: Possible method for respirator disinfection to facilitate reuse during the COVID-19 pandemic , 2020, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

[2] COVID-19 Decontamination and Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators , 2020 .

[3] S. Perlman,et al. Efficacy of an Automated Multiple Emitter Whole-Room Ultraviolet-C Disinfection System Against Coronaviruses MHV and MERS-CoV , 2016, Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

[4] Brian K. Heimbuch,et al. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation of influenza-contaminated N95 filtering facepiece respirators , 2018, American Journal of Infection Control.

[5] SHORTAGE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ENDANGERING HEALTH WORKERS WORLDWIDE , 2020, Saudi Medical Journal.

[6] Emily L. Dolson,et al. UV Sterilization of Personal Protective Equipment with Idle Laboratory Biosafety Cabinets During the Covid-19 Pandemic , 2020, medRxiv.